Star Bright
by xDazex
Summary: Giving up a child is never an easy thing for parents to do, but when Dr. Facilier seeks revenge, Tiana and Naveen have no choice but to take drastic measures to ensure their infant daughter's safety, even if it means she won't know who they are.
1. Chapter 1

**My first story! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I've never written anything to be viewed by the public before. Anyway, on to the story. This first chapter might be confusing, but don't worry, all will be explained in time. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned _The Princess and the Frog_ I most certainly would not be writing fan fiction about it.**

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They arrived by night on a private yacht at a time when no one else was around to notice them. They took extra care to not be seen as they traveled the dark streets of New Orleans in a borrowed automobile, passing block after block as silently and as quickly as possible. From one end of the city to the next, the car sped around countless corners until they had reached the high end part of town where its destination was placed. The La Bouff mansion was placed at the end of a long, notoriously expensive avenue where the people were usually in bed by eleven to ensure they had their nightly dosage of beauty sleep. It was easy for the plain covered car to slip through the front gates and up the short cobblestone path unnoticed. The young mistress of the house, Miss Charlotte Alexandra La Bouff, was waiting anxiously in the doorway for the car's arrival.

It was a chilly night, one that caused Miss La Bouff to pull her shawl around her tighter, though she loosened her grip when she caught sight of the automobile rattling toward the mansion. The night was dead silent, save for the rustling of the wind. All of the servants and butlers had been dismissed on a one day holiday at the insistence of Charlotte, who believed they all worked too hard anyway. It would go unmentioned that she'd had a difficult time fixing herself lunch without the help of the cooks.

The young heiress held her hand up in a wave, as though it would help guide her visitors to the grand porch. The car had no trouble finding its way, and only a second after it had jerked to a stop the back door flew open and two figures in dark coats and hats that hid their faces scrambled under the cover of the overhang. A middle aged chauffer emerged as well, but did not follow the couple inside. He was told to wait, the visit wouldn't take long, and he respectfully obeyed, though he looked on with sad eyes as his employers walked inside, the woman clutching a bundle to her chest.

No one spoke until the two guests had peeled off their outer layers of clothing, revealing them to be a tan man and a dark-skinned woman, both dressed in casual, but obviously foreign attire. Charlotte tapped her feet nervously. "I wish I could say it's good to see you, Tiana, but…considering…," she couldn't find the right way to word it.

"I know." The woman said, speaking with the same accent as her hostess and looking down at her special cargo cheerlessly.

"We shouldn't waist time, love," the man spoke to the woman, his wife, in a clearly European accent. He set down two small suitcases and a folder at Charlotte's feet. "We must be gone by dawn."

"Yes. You're right, Naveen." Tiana's eyes watered as she took the bundle in her arms and shed the blanket from the top, kissing the baby's forehead gently, before holding the child out to her father, who caressed her tiny cheek and did the same.

"I'll love you always, princess." Naveen whispered to his daughter. Tiana hugged her close one last time, and then handed her over to Charlotte.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I had to." Tiana told her best friends firmly. "Dr. Facilier is still out there. I can't…I can't risk her being in danger, and you're the only one I trust to take care of her. We'll come back for her as soon as he's caught, I promise." Charlotte nodded solemnly and looked down at the baby girl in her arms. She looked just like her daddy, with slightly paler skin and his deep brown eyes, though her hair was darker and she had her mother's dimples. The poor girl had no idea what was even happening. She reached out toward her mother, her mouth twisting into a confused frown that made Tiana - strong, no-nonsense Tiana - collapse against Naveen as she let her sobs come. The prince held his wife close, trying to be the rock even when he was ready to cry, too.

"Don't spoil her too much." He said in an attempt to make the situation a little less gloomy. No one laughed, but Charlotte put on an forced, but appreciative smile. She didn't know what she should do. It wasn't her that was losing a child. She didn't know how to comfort her heart-broken friend. Naveen reached out and held the baby's chubby hand for a second. "I'll always be with you, my sweet Evangeline." He made eye contact with Charlotte, his expression betraying his sadness and fear. The prince and princess made their way to the door, but Tiana started to cry out and reach for her daughter.

"We can't leave her!" She choked through her tears. "She needs me! I can't lose her! No!" Naveen held her close to him and struggled against her suprising strength, but he managed to get her outside and into the car.

"We trust in you fully." He said to Charlotte through the window. "We'll send a letter soon. Just…make sure she always knows we love her." He rolled up the window, and they were gone. Charlotte was left, standing helplessly outside her home with a child wriggling and crying at the realization that her mother was nowhere to be found.

It was creepy to travel the huge house at night when no one else was there to keep company with. Charlotte was all alone, and since her father had passed away from heart conditions only weeks before she'd had only the staff to give the mansion a homey atmosphere. She headed swiftly to the third floor bedrooms. A nursery had already been prepared. It was the room Charlotte had stayed in as a child, and most of the furniture was hers from years before. Just about all of it was pink and lacy, but the baby wouldn't mind, at least not until she was older. Charlotte looked at the little girl and wondered what in the world she had gotten herself into. She had no clue how to raise a child, and what if she messed her up? Tiana would never forgive her. The baby was screaming now, her few teeth fully visible as she wailed for her mother.

Charlotte panicked and could do nothing but bounce the baby up and down on her knee. "Shhh, shhh, baby girl. C'mon sugar, it's okay. Oh where's that baby food?" She was speaking more to herself than to the baby. The folder Naveen had given her was nearby, and she somehow managed to leaf through it and balance the baby at the same time. Mumbling to herself, she recited the instructions. "Okay, okay. Before bed: warm bath, pj's, blanket, read the book, lullaby. Hm," she looked down at the baby, whose cries had lessened to pitiful hiccups. "Well, you look clean enough to me. Let's just skip that part."

She hoisted the little girl onto her hip and placed her inside the crib. Inside one of the suitcases were all of her clothes, and in the other was an assortment of books, toys, and games. "My goodness," Charlotte said to herself when she saw a 150 piece puzzle among the goodies, "Tiana's got one smart cookie on her hands. Oh! There it is." She picked up a green blanket patterned with small crowns and tiaras. It distracted the child well enough so Charlotte was able to (somewhat) easily switch her dainty blue dress for yellow footie pajamas. "Good. That's done. Now, what book?"

It couldn't just be any book. Naveen had said _the_ book. The question was: which one? An old leather bound book was sitting on top, an old Maldonian folk-tale collection. Charlotte held it up for the baby to see, but the infant's brows creased and the early signs of another fit were evident. The book was thrown aside hastily and three more books were tried, though each one had negative results. A green book was next, and Charlotte's eyebrows raised thoughtfully when she saw the golden words _The Frog Prince_ written in fancy lettering across the cover. To her surprise the little girl smiled and clapped her hands when she saw the familiar story.

"Figures," Charlotte chuckled, "of course Naveen would want to read this to you. Your daddy's cheesy that way." She pulled a chair next to the crib and began to read the story just as she remembered Tiana's mother, Eudora, used to. The baby was delighted with the voices Charlotte made for each character, and the young woman herself was getting into the fairytale. It wasn't until the last page was turned that she noticed her god-daughter was out cold with a thumb in her mouth and the blanket under her head. Charlotte smiled at the sweet scene and turned her head to look out the window. The night was clear and crisp, and the moon was brighter than ever over the city. The stars twinkled everywhere, but one was noticeably more dazzling than the rest. The Evening Star.

Charlotte looked from the sleeping infant to the star, and then out to the distant port where Tiana and Naveen were sure to be preparing to leave for Maldonia. "Please, please, please." She whispered, turning off the lamp and leaving without another word.

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**Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay…I would have had this up much sooner, but I had driver's ed this week and I constantly had people over so I had no opportunity to work on this. My apologies.**

**I must take this opportunity to thank my fabulous reviewers! I didn't expect that at all, to be honest. I'm so motivated to write this now, you have no idea. Also, I want to make sure I have as much historical accuracy as possible for this piece, so if anyone knows any good sites about life in the 1940s that would be awesome, or if someone knows a bit about Mardi Gras please PM me. I'm so in the dark about it, and I'm not sure about when it starts. All I know is that it changes with Easter.**

**In response to a question about historical accuracy in the first chapter, yes, there were yachts and, in my opinion, cars then were somewhat speedy. Just warning you, this chapter is a bit out of the norm for me because it's just a bunch of letters. Keep in mind these aren't all of the letters Tiana and Charlotte wrote to each other, just some of the important ones. Hope you like it!**

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November 13, 1926

Dear Lotte,

We miss Evangeline here more than I could possible say. I want things to be normal again, like they were before…well you know. Naveen keeps going into the nursery and looking at the empty crib. I don't know what to do with myself. I have so much more free time, but all I want to do is take my baby girl for a walk or read her a story.

Is she being good? I hope she hasn't been too much trouble. Naveen forgot to tell you that she isn't done teething yet, but I guess by the time you read this it'll be a little late for that. I apologize for anything she may have managed to put in her mouth.

There's still no sign of Facilier. We're doing everything we can to find him, but it seems he has the annoying ability to disappear into thin air whenever he wants to. Guards have been sent down there to Louisiana to search, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Naveen's being his optimistic self about it, but I'm worried about him. He's throwing himself into this, and he hardly gets any sleep anymore. He means well, and I know he's just a protective father, but…he needs to think about himself too. I'm just so confused, Lotte, and no evening star's going to help me now.

Write back soon. I don't want to miss out on a single thing Evangeline does.

Love,

Tiana

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December 23, 1926

Dear Tia,

Everything is going perfectly here. Little Eva finally started warming up to me after a couple weeks, and she's just a doll. You'll never believe what she did just last Tuesday! She started talking! Well…okay she didn't really talk. It was more like a lot of really slurred sounds all mushed (that's a word, right?) together, but she practically held up conversation with me. I said something, then she babbled, then I said something else, and she babbled again…It was just the bee's knees!

But, honestly, I more tired than Daddy after that time he decided to take kick boxing lessons. Little Eva doesn't trust the servants very much, and so I have to be with her at all times. How did you do it? Of course, you at least had Naveen to help you, but I'm just here by myself. I love the little rose bud, I really do, but I feel like I'm running a marathon every day.

At least Christmas is almost here. Your momma made Evangeline the cutest dresses you ever did see, oh they're just precious. Our big Christmas Eve party's tomorrow night, and I'll finally get to show off your little angel to the best of New Orleans society. Don't make a fuss, I'm just going to tell people she's my god-daughter. I have her outfit picked out and everything. Then Eudora's coming to spend Christmas day with us and we're going to do all the traditional family Christmas things. The chef's cooking up a big ol' turkey and there'll be hot cocoa and presents!

I miss you so much, and I know Evangeline does, too.

Hugs and kisses,

Charlotte

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February 14, 1927

Dear Lotte,

Happy Valentines Day. Things are good here. Naveen's been so sweet today. He took us out on a boat in the pond and we spent the day relaxing and reminiscing. We even counted how many frogs we saw. He surprised me by making dinner himself, which would be a surprise any day, but it had an added hint of romance since he did it tonight. I don't know what I'd do without him, I really don't.

Evangeline's birthday's coming up. It doesn't feel right. The first birthday is supposed to be a huge milestone, something really special. I'm not even going to be there for it. I don't get to watch her go about her day and coo over how much she's grown and all of the things she's accomplished. I don't get to see her smear her face with a cake she really doesn't need anyway. I don't get to bake her a cake in the first place.

But, as I keep trying to remind myself, it'll all be worth it once Facilier is caught and she's back home safe and sound. It's only a matter time, we had a lead just last week and we've sent some men out to investigate. We're getting close, I can just feel it. Naveen's gotten cocky about it, which is definitely a good sign because he's coming out of that inferior state he's been in. It would be so much easier to live with him if he didn't need an ego the size of an elephant to keep him going.

Unfortunately I'm in love with him, so I'm kind of stuck.

Love,

Tiana

P.S. Evangeline's gift was sent out a few days ago. It should arrive sometime soon.

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April 8, 1927

Dear Tia,

Guess what! Little Eva's started walking! She's practically running already. You know, for a while there I thought there might be something wrong with her since she was over a year old and still not walking, but I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd think I messed up your baby. But now she's zipping all over the place like a directionally challenged racehorse and just having the time of her little life.

I discovered yesterday that she hates broccoli. Never feed it to her. I tried since it was last night's side dish, and she threw it down, started crying and yelled 'tree.' Don't ask me why. I don't have an answer. And that imagination of hers is just something. Her reasoning for not eating the broccoli was because she didn't want to eat the family of mini-monkeys living it.

She's gotten clever too, Tia. I can't figure out if it's the good clever or the bad clever. I was reading her book to her the other night, and she holds out her hands and says (in as few syllables as possible) that she would like to read it. I was thrilled, 'cause I never knew babies could read that soon and I thought she must be a prodigy or something, until I realized that as she sounded out _The Frog Prince_ to me she was holding the book upside down. At least we know she's fantastic at memorizing things she hears.

Tata for now,

Charlotte

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October 2, 1927

Dear Charlotte,

I'm started to lose hope. Ever time we get close to catching Facilier he slips right through our fingers. I always make the mistake of getting my hopes up only to have them dashed every time. I had really thought we'd have Evangeline home by now, but I don't think that'll be happening any time soon. Is it all right if you keep her just a bit longer, Lotte. I really hate to put that kind of responsibility on you, but it's all I know to do. I wasn't born royalty, it's Naveen who was raised to handle problems like this.

The real problem is knowing how long this could go on. At this rate, it could take years. I've already missed Evangeline's first Christmas, and her first birthday. I certainly don't plan on missing more.

Listen to the talk around New Orleans. Maybe he's there and we don't know it. You've got connections, see if anyone's heard anything about a Shadow Man running around.

Love,

Tiana

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January 30, 1928

Dear Tia,

I know this probably isn't what you want to think about right now, but Eva's birthday is coming up again. I know you know, so we might as well address it now. She's already almost two years old. Time just seems to fly by doesn't it?

She's grown a lot, just went through a spurt I think. The little dear's getting kind of heavy to pick up, but she hates having to walk around by herself so she always wants me to carry her. She talks a lot now, too. I can't get her to stop sometimes! I guess she got that from Naveen, 'cause I remember you were never the talkative one. She tells me about all sorts of stuff, like what she's learned from the gardener or what she saw in her picture books. She absolutely adores picture books.

Eudora's been around a lot lately. Eva latches onto her like a spider to its web, and your momma's crazy about her. They look so sweet together. It's just like a classic grandma-granddaughter relationship, right out of a storybook.

Maybe you could try coming for a visit soon. I know you think it's too risky and all that, but how would anyone know? It could just be for a couple days, perhaps over Evangeline's birthday. I bet she'd love to see you. Just think it over.

Lots of love,

Charlotte

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July 28, 1928

Dear Tiana,

Where have you been? It's been months and you haven't sent a single letter. Is something wrong? Did I do something?

Love,

Charlotte

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September 1, 1928

Dear Charlotte,

A few months ago the delivery system transporting the royal family's mail was attacked and our personal letters torn through. I suspect it was Dr. Facilier. He didn't find what he was looking for, and I have determined it is best to discontinue any communication concerning political subjects with you. I hope your daughter is doing well.

Love,

Tiana

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Charlotte set the letter down on the window sill and looked out at the street in shock. The city was busy, and the long line of cars moving steadily down the street was hypnotic. She forced herself to turn away and snatched the letter up again.

_I have determined it is best to discontinue any communication concerning political subjects with you._

Evangeline was sitting on her new 'big girl' railed bed and playing pretend with her princess dolls. "You may kiss the bride." She declared as she knocked two plastic head together rather awkwardly. Her games were always the same. One of the girl dolls would be a damsel in distress, but the handsome prince would rescue her and they'd live happily ever after, just like in fairytales.

The hidden princess had grown up so much in the past couple years. She looked even more like her daddy, with delicate dark locks that were constantly held up in a frilly bow. She had the natural innocence the young were so blessed with, and lived in her own world where everything was magical. One day she was a mermaid swimming in the pool turned glistening lagoon, and the next she was a fairy flying through the mysterious backyard gardens. She spoke loudly and frequently, and spent as much time thinking about the wonders of the real world as she did creating her own. Was this little girl a political issue?

_I hope your daughter is well._

In was a finalizing statement, a statement that meant defeat. Or did it mean nowhere was safe for the future queen to keep her secrets but in her mind? Either way, Charlotte knew something had changed, and her life had gotten much more complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is, Chapter 3. Not a terribly exciting chapter I'm afraid, but it does give you a peek at the kind of person baby Evangeline grew up to become. It's from her point of view, and will be from now on, possibly with the exception of a couple pieces where I want to show a scene that doesn't have her in it.**

**A lot of what this chapter's for is showing the lifestyle Evangeline has. The country's in the middle of World War II, so I tried to be as realistic as possible in how she lived. I also spoke about the Depression and how it affected those around her.**

**Also, as a warning, updates are going to get further apart from here on out. School's starting up again, so my schedule's going to make it harder to find time to write. I promise I'll try to keep updates somewhat frequent.**

**Thanks again to all my reviewers! As long as I know you're reading, I'll keep writing, so keep the reviews coming.**

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_1943_

It was a sunny, but very cold December day in New Orleans. The holidays were pressing down on the people like a plague, reminding them of the hard times and of those who wouldn't be home to celebrate. The hard times had become suffocating but normal by then. The Depression had hit stockholders and banks hard, and the magnificent city was just starting to recover.

Several of the houses in the wealthy district of town were still empty after their owners had lost everything to the banks, but some, like the La Bouff mansion, still managed to kick up a stir of excitement whenever things got dull. Unfortunately for me, I always managed to get stuck in the middle of it.

My aunt Charlotte was a party girl and a trendsetter, that much was painfully obvious about her. The only reason I have an up to date wardrobe and hairstyle are because of her. Without her need to perch me at the top of the social food chain, I'd probably have just kept my hair in a short, naturally curly cut than have it styled into the modern "juliet" hairstyle that made it straight until it reached my shoulders, where it gently curled into an odd poof. To my surprise, I actually liked it. A lot.

One thing I didn't like, though, was how every single year she insisted on having god knows how many people pile into our ballroom to exchange boring conversation and discuss politics for the sake of social interaction. Ever since I was old enough to understand, that sort of talk had never failed to be discouraging and negative. I guess that just came with growing up during the Depression then getting thrown into life during World War II.

Which is why every year I tried to talk her out of the party to no avail. I didn't see what was wrong with spending a nice quiet evening at home for Christmas Eve, but apparently she did. I was up in my room that cold December day when I heard her trademark screech vibrating throughout the house. I was on the third floor, and she was on the first. It was still loud enough to make me gasp and fall out of my desk chair.

"Aunt Charlotte?" I yelled out as I picked myself up and ran toward the sound. Another scream pounded at my ears and I knew it was coming from the ballroom. "Oh god." I muttered, slowing my pace.

The ball room was a huge space, large enough for several hundred people at least. It looked like it came out of a painting. A large staircase connected in to the second floor opposite a small stage made for the chamber ensemble to play. A table was being set up along one wall for refreshments and snacks. The rest of the room was for dancing, and I really hated dancing.

Aunt Lotte, coincidentally, was standing in the middle of the dance floor, fists clenched and blue eyes shooting daggers at two maids as they tried to hook some garland to the top of the staircase railing. "This will never turn out right!" She whined as she immaturely stomped her foot.

I shook my head and sighed. Sometimes it worried me that my guardian was more childish than I was five years ago. I walked past her, not even bothering to say anything, and climbed the many carpeted steps until I had reached the two maids. They looked at me gratefully as I took the garland and twisted it around the railing, securing it with a gold colored ribbon. "That better Aunt Lotte?"

"Little Miss Evangeline your are just a miracle worker." She grinned at me.

"I wouldn't call that a miracle, but alright." Exaggerations were a specialty of Aunt Lotte. "Gold matches the wall better. You should use it more." I advised her as I hurried to leave before she trapped me in that boring place for the rest of the day, but I wasn't fast enough. A surprisingly strong hand gripped my wrist just as I was about to reach the door.

"Please stay. I really need your help. These maids don't have a clue what they're doing." She begged, her bottom lip jutted out like a five-year-old's.

I had to make up a fast excuse. "I can't, Aunt Lotte, I'm busy."

"With what?"

I racked my brain for something to be busy with. The weather was nice, save for the cold, so I figured going out was my best option. "I have to go see Nana at Tiana's. The sweet potatoes are ready." Aunt Charlotte let go of me and sighed overdramatically.

"Well, if you must." She put a hand on her hip and held the other one up to point at me. "But the party's only a couple nights away and we're nowhere near ready. Be home by nightfall." Of course, since she insisted on starting the preparations of the first day of the month, the party planning was almost completely finished. The only real problem we had was food, but that would be solved later. Still, from years of experience I knew to just agree with her and get out while I could.

I pulled on my coat from a hall closet and scampered out to the storage shed I'd had built next to my Victory Garden. The door creaked as I opened it, and I coughed a couple times from the dust and other stuff that could be seen floating in the patches of sunlight that came through the window. It was dark inside, but I could see well enough to navigate around the towers of boxes holding canned foods from our garden that were ready to be shipped out to the troops. I always canned most of the vegetables the Victory Garden gave us to help the war effort, but some I saved to give to Nana Eudora over at her restaurant, Tiana's Palace.

Nana wasn't really my grandmother, but she's known me my whole life and insisted I address her as if she were family. In most senses of the word, she was my family. She spent nearly every holiday with Aunt Charlotte and I, and had helped take care of me when Aunt Charlotte had no one to help her. I liked our little family. It was small, and I didn't have much of a father figure, but we were all close and could tell each other anything. I didn't even feel the need to find out about my birth parents. I had everything I wanted with Aunt Lotte and Nana.

Tiana's Palace used to be one of the hottest spots in town to get a bite to eat. The best food in New Orleans could always be found there, along with some of the best jazz music. That was way back in the twenties, though. Once the Depression hit, business went bad. No one but those who managed to keep their money out of the stock market couldn't afford nice food like that. Aunt Charlotte said we were lucky that Big Daddy La Bouff, her father, had never liked the stock market and trusted no one but himself with his fortune. That, and Charlotte didn't know enough about the market to ever invest in it.

After the Depression, things got somewhat better for restaurants, but then the food rationing for the war kept Nana from getting a lot of the ingredients for the top secret recipes. To be honest, Nana wasn't the best with food. She said the recipes were her daughter's when the restaurant had opened, but after her daughter and son-in-law had moved out of the country, the restaurant had been left in her care.

To help her out, every once in a while I took leftovers from the Victory Garden for her to use. Tiana's Palace was all the way at the other end of town over looking the water. It was a fairly quick journey by trolley, but I could have dealt with a longer one. Despite the times, the city was buzzing with activity. Everyone was getting ready for Christmas, and good spirits were in as good supply as patriotism.

I could smell Tiana's Palace before I saw it. The smell never changed from the distinct aroma of its signature gumbo and beignets. The trolley stopped across the street from it, and I dodged traffic carefully as I balanced the large paper bag of potatoes in one arm and kept my small blue hat on my hair with the other. Nana had allowed me to have a key for the back door that opened into the kitchen, so that's where I entered as fast as possible to get away from the bitter wind.

The few cooks that the restaurant could afford were preparing for the dinner rush, though, like every night, there wouldn't be too much of one. I saw Nana taking inventory with a worried expression. Last time I'd been there, their sugar supply was running low, and I wondered if she'd managed to scrounge up a bit more. When I dropped the potatoes onto a counter the bag made an unpleasant thud that successfully got Nana's attention. She smiled at me and rushed to engulf me in a classic grandma hug that had me gasping for air.

"How are you, baby girl?" Nana greeted me. Though I was already 17, she never stopped calling me baby girl.

"Good. I brought some sweet potatoes. Nice and fresh." I pushed the bag in her direction. She looked at them like they were angels in disguise and scooped them up to pass off to another employee. "I had to get out of the house."

"Oh?" Nana raised her eyebrow. "And why's that."

"The curse of the Christmas Eve Ball."

"Charlotte's on a rampage again?"

"I barely escaped."

Nana laughed. She had one of the warmest laughs ever, and it could put anyone in an instant good mood. I couldn't help but grin with her. No matter what I had to tolerate, I always knew I could count on Aunt Charlotte to give me something to laugh about and Nana to help me laugh. "You go through this every year, Evangeline. When are you going to learn to stay out of her way? You know she'll just take advantage of those talents of yours." It was true. I had the uncanny ability to tell what went together well. Once, when Aunt Lotte had wanted to redo the entire interior design of the mansion, I had helped with a few rooms and she realized I had a bit of a knack for arranging things and knowing what to put where. Ever since she used me to decorate for all of her parties.

"The only way to avoid that would be to move out of the country. I hear Maldonia's nice this time of year. 'Course even then she'd have me help her though letters." I joked. Nana chuckled a little, but it sounded forced. I looked at her tentatively. "You okay?"

"What do mean? Of course I'm okay." I didn't believe her.

"You just sound a little…off."

"I'm fine. Just a little distracted is all. You know how these times are." Sadly, I did. Speaking of times…

"Oh shoot. Aunt Lotte told me to be back before dark. She can be so annoying." I complained, not keen on going back out in frigid weather.

"Now, sugar, she's only wants what's best for you." Nana paused for a moment and considered something else. "That and your party planning expertise. She's not the most selfless person in the world, but she's your family. Now run along before the sun goes down." She kissed my forehead and sent me back into the wind. I caught the first trolley I saw, thankful for the load of people to shield me from the air. The ride seemed longer going home, but I didn't mind. I gladly observed all of the buildings we passed, many proudly sporting propaganda about the war. There had to be dozens of posters with Rosie the Riveter plastered over bricks and cement encouraging women to do their part for the war.

I didn't hesitate in joining the effort. It had been my idea to start our Victory Garden, though I didn't really want to do much beyond that. I didn't like the war. How could I? I mean, no one liked it, but I had lived my whole life up to that point either in economic crisis or worrying about someone I knew getting drafted or killed. It wasn't unpatriotic to want a little stability in my life. Food was a necessity, that I understood, and if it kept our country from starvation, I was sure to volunteer to grow it myself. Plenty of people were. It was the fighting I didn't like, and I just wanted it to end.

The trolley jolted to a stop and I was knocked forward, though I didn't fall thanks to the pole I was clutching. I was on my street, so exited and leisurely strolled past the neighboring houses to put off having to face Aunt Lotte. The sun was only just reaching below the rooftops, so I had time. This part of town was much quieter than be the center of the hubbub where the market and shops were. The people were pickier and snobbier, and if there was as much noise as a barking dog they were ready to call the police. It wasn't terribly welcoming, but it let me get some peace when I really needed it. In this part of town, where everyone had enough money to last them the rest of their lives, it was like the war didn't exist, hardship didn't happen, and wishing worked.

I came to the gate of my house, but didn't go in despite my desire for warmth. I wanted to stay outside a little longer, where reality still existed.

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**Next chapter: The Christmas Eve party. Get ready to meet Evangeline's best friends, and maybe even some other interesting characters.**


	4. Chapter 4

**At last, Chapter 4 has arrived! Time to experience the wonderful Christmas Eve Ball. What will happen? Who will be there? You'll just have to read to find out. This is the longest chapter yet, around 3600 words! That's a record for me.**

**Once again, a shout out to my lovely reviewers. You guys are this story's life support, and without you, its nothing. I'm super appreciative of everything you've said!**

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_Dear Diary,_

_So today's Christmas Eve. The party's tonight. I've been saying I'm not excited and I hate it and everything but…this year I'm kind of happy about it. Maybe I'm just in an abnormally good mood, but I have a good feeling about tonight. Virginia, Ruth and Mary are coming early. We're all going to get ready together. Evelyn and Hannah are geniuses with hair, so they're going to style ours for us. Nana made my dress, it's absolutely beautiful. I wonder if the Lamberts are coming, but I heard what happened to their son in Japan - _

Sometimes I questioned my sanity when I started composing diary entries in my head. I didn't even own a diary.

I sat up from my bed with a grunt. My room was my favorite place in the world. I had redecorated it myself when I was 15, keeping the color scheme simple so I wouldn't grow out of it. The walls were crème, but covered in colorful paintings and other works of art to brighten the place up. My bed was blue with a matching canopy that billowed around the headboard in a regal, glamorous kind of way. It was the best part of the whole room. The rest of the poor excuse for a space wasn't worth describing. It was an utter mess.

"Don't you dare." I stated out loud while I looked out my window.

"How the hell did you know?" A voice behind me asked, the astonishment and disappointment about as subtle as Aunt Lotte.

"With the eyes in the back of my head of course." I retorted sarcastically. "Can't you see them?" I finally turned to face the intruders and squealed various greetings, rushing to engulf them in a group hug.

"I missed you guys! How's your break?" I inquired happily. Virginia, Ruth an Mary were some of my closest friends in the world. I had known them since I was 13, when I had started attending NOGA, or New Orleans Girls' Academy.

"Boring." Ruth answered automatically. "My mom's been so strict. I'm lucky to be here at all."

"Mine's been great." Mary said. "Dad had some friends over and they had a son visiting them, so they brought him. He's 24, but that's not too old. Is it?"

"Mary! You're 18." Virginia scolded her. Mary thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Whatever. He's getting shipped off to Europe in a few weeks anyway." We all rolled our eyes. Typical Mary.

"Where are your dresses? I want to see them!" I had heard about these dresses. Our Christmas Ball was one of the biggest social events of the year, next to the Benoit's Mardi Gras Masquerade. But, next to being a social event, it was a fashion show. No person wore the same outfit. Every gown and suit was custom made by the best designers, a way to show off how much money you had in your pocket.

"Oh my goodness! You _have _see mine!" Virginia squealed, jumping up to get the dress box she had dropped next to my door. She threw off the lid and held up the dress in one swift motion, the fabric of the skirt swishing as it hung from the bodice. It was a lovely gown. The bodice was pink with delicate black lace that connected to a full black skirt.

"Aw, I love it! I bet it'll look great on you." I cooed. It wasn't a lie. Virginia was model pretty. I'd kill to have her perfect, frizz-less hair. Mine would be a curly mess if it weren't for my hairdresser.

"You think?"

"Of course."

"Ooh look at mine!" It was Mary that time. Hers fit her perfectly. Always in the festive spirit, her gown was of dark green (a color that she looked fantastic in) and the skirt fell in columns of cinched fabric, kind of like a stage curtain.

"Here's mine." Ruth presented hers without the high pitched screaming the others had contributed. Though she didn't express it the way most people would, Ruth had an incredible taste in fashion. In school, her creations in our sewing lessons were always the best, no matter how simple they were. She didn't care for the popular designers, but no one noticed that what she wore wasn't designer anyway. They might as well have been. Like her gown, for instance. It was a simple dark blue halter, with a lighter blue tulle peaking our from under the layer of dark blue fabric on the skirt. "There'll be a crinoline under it. It'll look better then."

"Ruthie, it's gorgeous!" Virginia exclaimed.

"It has a rip in the tulle, and the bodice is awkward, but I didn't have enough fabric or time to come up with something else." Ruth, always the pessimist, scrunched her small nose as the outfit.

"Hey, Ruthie?" I called to her.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." She stuck her tongue out at me, and we all laughed. The only time I ever acted like a kid was around my friends. I left the public immaturity to Aunt Lotte.

Speaking of which, "Knock, knock!" Aunt Lotte giggled as the flounced into my room without knocking at all.

"Hi Ms. La Bouff." My friends all said, only somewhat in unison.

"Hello sweet peas. Why are you all not dressed yet?" She looked at us in disbelief. She, of course, was already dressed in her large, diagonally tiered pink dress, delivered straight from Paris weeks before. It didn't have nearly as big of a circumference as some of her other dresses had, and for that I was eternally grateful.

"Aunt Charlotte, the ball's not for two more hours." I pointed out, but she stuck my dress box in my face instead of an comment.

"People always show up early, and you need to be down there to help greet guests. I have to go now. There's so much to do! The food, the waiters, the music, oh there's just no time!" As if realizing that she'd already spent a few seconds of her life up in my room when she could have been harassing a maid, Aunt Charlotte flew out of the room as fast as possible, leaving us in a befuddled haze of questions.

"Eva, I do believe your aunt is in dire need of comfort food." Mary said rather bluntly. The rest of us nodded silently.

"I guess we should get dressed then." Ruth started to undress herself, and the rest of us followed suit. It took surprisingly long to shed our clothes and then get our new clothing on. Once the crinolines and everything were in place, it took practiced skill to maneuver our way into our dresses correctly. Luckily, as seasoned ladies of society, we had been well taught in that area of expertise.

After we were clothed, Hannah and Evelyn, two of the maids, came in. We took turns sitting at the vanity, two at a time, so we could do our makeup as our locks were styled into complex updos. It was tedious work, but the mood was kept light with jokes and gossip. By the time we were completely finished the sun had set and a crescent moon was reflecting off of the shining car-tops that were filing through our front gate.

"I'm so excited!" Mary skipped ahead of us while we strolled toward the grand staircase entrance. I hadn't been on time to greet guests, but I figured the butlers had gotten everyone situated well enough. Besides, Aunt Lotte would never know, as she never made her entrance until after all the guests had arrived. That way, more people could look at her.

In my opinion, the 'strut,' as Aunt Lotte like to call it, down the staircase was the most embarrassing part of the whole night. The guests entered through a door one of the walls next to the stairs, so it was always just me walking where everyone could see me. If they happened to come early, like that year, my friends eased the stage fright.

The door at the top of the stairs was opened, so we stopped in the hallway just before we got to the opening so we could decide how to go down. Single file was never preferred, so we determined that standing side by side in one row would be the better option. As soon as we each placed a manicured, heel-clad foot on the first carpeted step, it didn't take long for the whole room to turn their heads. I knew my face had to be beet red from the way it heated up to about a million degrees. I tried to smile and keep my gaze at the back wall. I discovered a couple years earlier it was best not to know who was staring at me if I happened to lose my footing. That hadn't been a good night.

"Oh goodness." Ruth mumbled under her breath while we were mid-descent.

"What?" I panicked.

"Robby George. Turn right when we get down." She passed the message on to the others, and when the last stair had been conquered we swung our line toward the refreshment table like a well rehearsed team of airforce pilots. As soon as we reached the edge of the crowds, I traded my smile for a scowl and the girls shielded me from any angle I could possibly be spotted from.

"Where was he?" Virginia asked.

"Walking in. He looked straight at you, Evangeline." Ruth pointed in the direction of the door.

I groaned. The last thing I wanted was an encounter with Robert George. "Shoot me now. I want nothing to do with that rotten jerk." I dared a glance back at the crowd, but there was no sign of him.

"Just forget about him. We'll warn you if he's coming." Mary promised. She was right. I just had to enjoy the night. The ballroom was beautiful. The lights that Aunt Charlotte had had strung from the ceiling glistened like stars, and the holly that was pinned up along the walls did a fine job of putting the guests in the Christmas spirit.

We turned to get some punch from the refreshment table and were happily greeted by Nana.

"Look at you girls!" She beamed at us from where she was handing out Tiana's signature beignets to a portly business man. "Aren't you just stunning! Evangeline, I knew that dress would be perfect on you. Turn around, let me see it." I did as I was told and did a little twirl, the end of my gown tickling my ankles as it twisted. It was made of a fine, flowing lavender fabric, with floral embroidery at the neckline and two scarves that hung from the center of the neck, over my shoulders, and down my back. It was elegant, and feminine, and the greatest thing Nana had ever made for me.

"Did you make your own dress again, Ruthie?" Nana asked Ruth, prompting them both to plunge into an enthusiastic discussion on who-knows-what about being a seamstress.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Is that Daniel Benoit?" Mary suddenly tugged on my arm and pointed a finger out into the mass of people.

"Marjory's older brother?" Virginia craned her neck to see over the heads of the high-heeled women blocking her view.

"Yeah! I didn't know he was back from New York, yet." She cocked her head and kept looking. "He looks good."

"Where?" I inquired, only to be ignored.

"Well, it is Christmas break, even for the Ivy League." Virginia commented.

"From what I hear he's not exactly holding himself up to Ivy League standards at the moment." Mary whispered, the thrill of scandal practically made her foam at the mouth.

"Where?!" I said, this time shaking Mary by the shoulders to get her attention.

"Whoa! Calm down, girl." She pulled me down to whisper in my ear. "See that man standing next to the woman with the blue dress. That's him. The one with the white jacket and black pants and the light brown hair. See him?"

"Oh, him?" I had to agree, he did look good. I hadn't seen him since he'd gone to college, and he had certainly changed. He'd become more muscular, and his face was slightly more handsome than it had already been, certainly with a greater air of arrogance. I rolled my eyes, but before I could make a remark, a trumpet blared and the lights changed. "Oh, fantastic. Here comes Aunt Charlotte."

A spotlight was placed on the summit of the staircase where a curtain of confetti fell over a posed Aunt Lotte. She giggled when the guests applauded her job well done on the ball, then threw her hands in the air and yelled, "Merry Christmas, everyone!" The crowd echoed it back to her, and she trotted her way down to the dance floor where she grabbed hold of the first single man she found. Almost forty years old and she was still chasing after her prince.

For the next hour or so, Virginia, Ruth, Mary and I were separated by family acquaintences who simply _had_ to catch up with us and the gentlemen who asked us to dance. Dancing certainly wasn't my forte, but I had to be polite and accept their requests to waltz or swing. It was deafening in there with all of the wartime news that was being passed around, though the current events did nothing to dampen the mood. Everyone had grown rather used to the talk, and it was more casual to hear of a bombing or blitzkrieg. The room heated up fast once everyone got into the fun, and I had to fight my way to the back patio before I passed out from lack of breathing room.

It was cold outside, freezing actually, but I paid the temperature little mind, as long as it cooled me down. The music from the chamber ensemble drifted out onto the patio. It was a slow song, and kept the headache I could feel coming on at bay. I couldn't see far past the railing I was leaning over, the night was too dark and the lights behind me too bright, bit I could faintly make out the shapes of the trees and my garden not too far off. I became acutely aware of the goose bumps crawling up my skin only after I heard a husky voice behind me say, "What's a pretty lady like you doing out here all alone?"

My heartbeat quickened and my palms became slick as the memories of that voice erupted in my head and pricked at my heart. I didn't want to turn around, but common courtesy forced me to greet the unwanted visitor that was moving to stand next to me. "Good evening, Robert." I said as blankly as I could, though I'm sure he must have picked up the pain I'd failed so horribly at concealing. I'd rather wrestle an alligator than wish Robert George a good evening.

"It is a marvelous evening isn't it?" He smiled a toothy, overly charming smile at me, but I averted his gaze and decided my hands were a much more interesting subject to study. "I've missed you Evangeline." I rolled my eyes. Yeah right. "Really, I have." I gave him no response, and he sighed heavily.

"Angie," Robby used the nickname he'd given me that I inwardly loathed, "You know I'm sorry about what I did. It didn't mean anything, I promise."

"Yeah," I retorted angrily, "Just like you promised you'd never lie to me. Remember that, because I do."

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? Please, I care about you, Angie." Finally, I looked up at him. His brown hair was combed off his forehead neatly, like always, and his blue eyes were sincere. I didn't trust them, though. I could see the annoyance in his expression.

"Just go away Robby." I started to turn from him, but his rough hand grabbed my arm and twisted me around to face him again.

"Let's just kiss and make up, okay." Robby's features became tense and unfriendly, the sudden darkness of his eyes only deepening when I tried to wriggle out of his grasp. The music inside had become louder, turning into an upbeat tune that had people crowding the stage across the room.

"Let go!" I protested when he pulled me up against him and flipped us around so he had me up against the wall and out of sight from anyone inside.

"C'mon. Just one little kiss?"

"Robby, get off me!" My fists knocked against his chest, but his grip on me tightened to the point that I cried out in pain. My eyes widened and my pulse rapidly pounded in my chest as I watched his head dip closer to mine. I wanted to scream, but nothing but air came out of my throat when I tried.

Robby's disgusting lips were almost on mine when his weight was abruptly yanked off of me and his iron grip wrenched from my arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I heard Robby yell while I gaped at the large red hand mark that had been left just below my shoulder.

"I believe the lady asked you to back off. Have some respect, buddy." I heard a calm, silky voice sternly reprimanding Robby and looked up, alarmed. To my utter surprise, it was Daniel Benoit who was standing there, releasing the collar of Robby's suit from his tightly clenched fist.

"This is none of your business." Robby glared at him and stepped in front of me to block me from Daniel's view. For some reason, I guess fear, I did nothing but shiver.

"Maybe not, but it's her business." He lifted a hand to indicate me. "And I think she would much rather you not be here." Daniel side stepped so he could look at me over Robby's shoulder, eyebrows raised, and gaze kind. I stared at him for a minute, then nodded dumbly.

"I don't have to go anywhere." Robby argued, but his ground was held for only a short time, because Daniel seized lapels of his jacket again and tossed him aside with ease. Robby stumbled a few steps, but regained his posture and began to aim a punch at Daniel's head. I gasped involuntarily, but my fears were assuaged when Daniel dodged the punch and sent Robby flying onto the cold stone of the patio.

"You really should be going now." My savior told him, and Robby scrambled up and ran inside, not a bit worried over his dignity. I stood there still, even after my stupid ex-boyfriend was long gone into the fray of the ball. My breathing was heavy, and face flushed, I'm sure, though my cheeks heated with a blush when I caught Daniel looking me over. "Are you alright?" He asked with genuine concern.

"Y-yes." I managed to stammer out. I was shaking uncontrollably at that point, so whether or not I was actually alright was debatable. A true gentleman, he took his suit jacket off and draped it over my bare shoulders. I was all of a sudden very conscious of the cold. "Thank you, sir." I said, though I knew his name quite well.

"Daniel Benoit." He introduced himself anyway. I smiled weakly at him.

"Evangeline La Bouff."

"I know." He smiled charmingly, but not with the same charm that Robby always used on me. "You're mother was speaking to my father about you earlier." My blush grew.

"She's not my mother. She's my godmother. I address her as my aunt."

"Oh, I didn't realize."

"It's fine." An awkward silence started to choke the life out of the conversation, and I looked to the warm light pouring out of the doorway. Surely the girls were missing me.

"Can I get you a drink?" Daniel offered. I suddenly started to get annoyed with his need to look after me.

"I'm fine. Really. Thank you for your help, but I can lift a finger myself." It came out ruder than I'd intended, and I immediately regretted my tone when I saw the taken aback look on his face.

"I'm sorry, did I not just do you a really big favor?" He questioned.

"Yes," I handed his jacket back to him, missing it's warmth and protection as soon as its soft lining left my skin. "And I'm grateful. But now I'm okay and I'm going to go inside." I took only two steps before his hand gently reached out to hold mine.

"Just one dance?" Call me crazy, but this scene seemed vaguely familiar. Oh yes! Another variation had just been tried on me not five minutes earlier. As politely as I could, I found a way to turn him down. My hand did not move.

"No, thank you. As you can imagine, I'm quite ready for some peace and quiet." I expected more distress or surprise in his expression. After all, his was the only dance I'd turned down all night, not that I'd had many requests. Instead, I received only confidence in return for my actions.

"Another time, perhaps." He grinned at me and lifted my hand so he could kiss it. "Goodnight, Miss Evangeline La Bouff." With quick, long strides he was gone, eaten up by the great mass of dancers and socialites. I stared after him, though there was no evidence of him ever being there at all.

What just happened?

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**I believe I through a few of you for a loop by not introducing our resident Shadow Man in this chapter. But don't fret, he is coming up very soon, I assure you. The next chapter will be written in third person, by the way. *Hint Hint***

**Reviews are the Naveen to my Tiana, as cheesy as that sounds.**


	5. Chapter 5

**He's finally here! Our favorite voodoo man has decided its high time he made his appearance this chapter. And let me tell you, I had so much fun writing this. I got to look into what kind of past I thought a guy like Dr. Facilier would have had, and this is the result. For those of you who have been waiting for him, you'll be very happy here.**

**Thanks to Nana Cloud, Whiteling, maramouse, Mylinda Antoinette, haruko sohma, and lizziemagic for reviewing the last chapter. I love you guys! Keep 'em coming.**

**Also, I've been thinking about what I'm going to do for the rest of the story. I really like writing this one in third person, and I'm considering doing the rest of them like that, even though the past couple of chapters have been from Evangeline's POV. The whole first person thing got kind of awkward, and there's so much more I want to show that I can't do when I write like that. What are your thoughts? Would it be too wierd if I switched to third person? I'd really appreciate your help.**

**So, finally, here is Chapter 5!**

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Dr. Facilier's life had never been especially simple. Some of it had been downright unfair. Nothing had ever really gone his way, even after his mysterious voodoo powers had been bestowed on him by his so-called 'friends on the other side.'

He found it much easier to blame his problems on the Friends, the monstrous shadows that haunted him wherever he went, slinking next to him to make sure he paid his debt. It was he who was truly the victim, not the careless souls he preyed on. Poor Dr. Facilier was nothing more than a penniless beggar unable to pay his rent, and the Friends his cruel, unfeeling landlords. In his world, everything was rent.

The 'Shadow Man,' as some residents of New Orleans had dubbed him, oftentimes could be caught wondering what had happened to lead his life to astray, so far off his plans. After much pondering, he determined it had all begun when he was the fresh, joyful age of 12.

Young Facilier wasn't known as Doctor back then. He was actually called Little Andre, since his father was Andre and they never wanted to mix up the two. The Faciliers lived in a very, very poor section of town, where danger lurked around every filthy, rat-ridden corner. The few families there were, despite the conditions of the neighborhood, all knew each other and lived close together, more for protection than convenience. Little Andre and the other boys didn't mind the bad place they were stuck in. It gave them a place to play without fear of automobiles or stuffy old men to yell at them.

Very few times did anyone get ill or injured. They'd all grown up in that environment, and street smarts and bad hygiene had strengthened their immune systems to super human standards. Besides, none of them could afford a doctor, so whenever someone caught a cold or broke an arm, it was up to the band of neighbors to decide who was bringing the soup or who was best at setting bones.

That was the only world Little Andre had ever known. They didn't have much, but he learned to make do. He was a tall, lanky boy, who could beat any fool at a race, only partly because he liked to play dirty. He was nimble, too, and able to dance his socks off whenever the adults decided to pluck out some music on their beat up guitar or harmonica. It was no secret that Little Andre had easily charmed his way to being the most well-liked person in the area. Everyone knew him, and everyone wanted him around.

His fortune changed just weeks before his thirteenth birthday, when his little sister Lisette's health started to fail. She'd been born weeks early, an event that almost ended her life and succeeded in taking their mother's. Lisette was the only kid in their neighborhood that couldn't play with the others, or even do much outside. She was frail and weak. Her growth wasn't normal, so she was always smaller than children her age, and even younger. She always had a cough, and was paler than anyone Little Andre had ever seen.

No one made soup or gumbo for her. They couldn't afford to make it almost every week for a little girl who probably wasn't going to get much better.

It was almost expected when she was suddenly bedridden for days on end, but Little Andre's twelve year old mind couldn't wrap his mind around why. He wanted to know why her cough had gotten worse and why she was shivering with fever all the time. He wanted to know why her breathing was labored, when it had been fine the week before.

He wanted to know why no one was going to find a doctor.

The adults wouldn't tell him, and when he asked they quickly changed the subject or distracted him with a story about what Spot, a smelly old stray that the boys liked to chase in the street, had been doing that morning. When Lisette's conditioned worsened even more almost a month later, Little Andre set out on his own to find someone who could help, and maybe even tell him what was happening.

He asked every doctor he came across, but as soon as any of them took one look (or whiff) of the rag-tag almost-thirteen-year-old, they shut their doors in his face. His search took his all the way out into the bayou, where he heard tell of an old voodoo mistress who had the reputation of helping those who truly needed it. Mama Odie, they called her, but not without a quiver in their voice. For some reason, not a soul offered to help Little Andre to the place where Mama Odie brewed her potions and cast her spells, so the child had to make the difficult trek on his own, not daring to return home until he had an answer. It was a foolish, even stupid thing to do, but the mind of a child doesn't consider what could go wrong

He could easily admit to stealing a boat to accomplish his stupid plan. He'd stolen many things in his lifetime with the other boys, though it was mostly useless trash they found lying on some faceless goon's front porch. That torn up rowboat carried him from one corner of the swamp to another while he searched, clueless of the whereabouts of the fabled Mama Odie.

Little Andre found her only by a stroke of luck when a peculiar swarm of fireflies he followed so he could have at least a little light stopped at a makeshift tree house constructed from a resurrected sunken river boat. Though the stories he'd heard of Mama Odie scared him silly, he had to keep from laughing at how silly the stories themselves were when he discovered the resident of the river boat was actually a babbling old lady, whose stature hardly matched Lisette's. Her sanity was questionable, but Little Andre didn't argue when the ancient woman handed him a vial of milky liquid.

"I know who you are," she told him, her toothless gums slurring the words together. "You are a little boy who knows what he needs. But," she looked straight at him thought it was clear her eyes hadn't seen in a long time, "beware of your heart. One wrong turn can leave you power hungry and greedy. Keep your mind on what you _need_." Being a kid, Little Andre didn't care for the life lesson, but he was happy to have a cure for Lisette in his hand at last. He wasn't sure what exactly the potion would do, but Mama Odie had said it would help. He left the river boat quickly once she started cackling into a bathtub full of gumbo. If he was being given an unknown concoction by an insane woman, then ignorance was bliss.

It was impossible to tell how long he was in the swamp after that. What felt like days could have only been hours, and seconds could feel like minutes. That's what happened when someone was lost, he figured. How he was able to avoid the usual dangers of the bayou, alligators and such, he'd never know. It was how he got out that he never forget.

The swamp was already a shadowy place, with dark shapes always looming over the water and striping the boat. Little Andre didn't know much, but he was almost positive that when the shadows started to move, he had a serious problem. Especially when those shadows were huge, hideous monsters, each one with its own, unique silhouette.

But, it seemed that being almost positive meant that there was still the chance that he was wrong. As it turned out, the shadows meant well, they whispered things in his ear, certainly succeeding in terrifying him, but he relaxed when he realized the whispers were directions, and the creatures guided his boat straight out of the bayou. It was night back in New Orleans, and Little Andre felt unusually secure as he strolled down the street with the shadows trailing all around him, like obedient pets. They told him things along the way, gave him advice.

"You shouldn't trust Mama Odie." One slithered up next to him, curling around the arm of his own shadow.

"She's not right in the head. That potion's more likely to kill your sister than aid her." Another, a great bat-like beast, purred into his ear, though when he turned his head, nothing was there.

"Really?" Little Andre's voice trembled as he tossed the vial from one hand to another.

"Yessssss." They chorused. "But we know the real cure. We can teach you the ways of voodoo, and help you save your poor sisters life. We can give you great power, the power to do whatever you wish." The possibilities were flying through Little Andre's mind. He could be a hero if he cured Lisette. Everyone would adore him more than ever.

He grinned, the gap between his teeth blatantly apparent in the store window he was passing. The glass vial, cold between his fingers, rolled gently along his palm, its white liquid sloshing against the cork as he turned it. Without even thinking he let his fingers tilt, and sent the vial tumbling onto the pavement, where it shattered. The potion sprayed across the road and spilled away in a thin, runny stream. The shadows made sounds of approval, and swarmed around him like he was stuck in the eye of a tornado.

The low beats of drums came from nowhere, and Little Andre's eyes widened in panic when the shadows sang out in unison, "Are you ready?" He felt something grab hold of him and his entire body was caught in an invisible fist. He struggled, but the beings were too strong to fight. They continued to chant in some unknown language, and Little Andre gasped loudly when he saw that not only were the shadows around him singing, but his personal shadow had leapt to life, acting out his signature dance moves and reaching toward him for a high five.

It was then that Little Andre discovered his mobility had returned, and he hesitantly held his palm out, feeling an unexpected slap as the dark hand connected with his. His heart pulsed and his blood ran hotter than usual. The power was coursing through his veins, and he felt it might spill out of his mouth or eyes if the level rose any higher. It felt better than anything he'd ever known in his life.

His shadow pointed a long, bony finger at him. "You are one of us."

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He was never the same after that day. The adults were only mad at him for about a seconds until they saw Lisette walk through her door to watch them. She was _walking_. Yes, she was still weak, but she had miraculously gained her strength back. When they asked her how, she looked straight at her big brother and said, "Little Andre did it." She hadn't even seen Little Andre yet, but somehow the Friends had told her.

Little Andre had a big head before he'd left, but after his father and the adults showered him with praise and questions, it grew ten times larger. He wouldn't tell exactly how he was able to somehow cure Lisette's illness, but he just said he'd spent lots of time with her, willing her to get better. The rest of his time around the neighborhood was no longer spent with the other boys wrestling and chasing Spot. Instead, he hung out in a suspicious dark alley, disappearing for hours on end while the Friends filled his brain with corrupt knowledge on how to make voodoo dolls and use people's blood for twisted uses. No one called him Little Andre any longer. He insisted he was old enough to just be called Andre.

When he was sixteen, he decided he didn't need his family anymore. Lisette was healthy and doing well, and didn't need her brother to take care of her. In the middle of the night, he packed a bag, and let the Friends lead him to an old abandoned warehouse, where he began unpacking his collections of masks, which the Friends spoke to him through, and other disturbing voodoo paraphernalia. No one questioned his presence, so he lived in that warehouse with his shadow as his only companion.

It was then that the Friends started to become less and less like friends. They told their young follower, who had changed his name to Dr. Facilier (after all, he was a witch doctor), that in return for their services, they required energy. They were dying, they told him, and the only thing that would keep them satisfied were human souls to control and feed off of. Dr. Facilier refused at first, but when they threatened to take his power and condemn him to eternal torture. Debt wasn't an option if he wanted to live, and he loved his power.

So he had no choice but to agree. He tried to target those who wouldn't be missed, the old beggar or pick-pocketing orphan who he could easily lure in with his charm and charisma. He'd show them a few things, the usual razzle-dazzle, and then when they were hypnotized by his magic, the Friends, in the form of floating masks, would take them. Facilier learned to use only his limited powers as much as possible to avoid burying himself in more debt. He avoided asking the Friends to help him with bigger feats. It was like digging his own grave.

But still, he craved more power. He could read bits of the future, he could make potions, he could change one animal into another, but he could do nothing for himself. It was political power he sought after. Despite his less than wise choices he'd made in life, he was a smart man, and people trusted him enough to follow him. He was charming, like a Venus fly trap, using a sweet aroma to attract an innocent, insignificant bug into his lair, only to trap them in an inescapable prison.

Years of this had made it routine and boring, but he soon found himself fascinated with the idea of running the whole city of New Orleans. With his power it wouldn't be hard, he just needed to get control of the most influential and wealthy family in the city, the La Bouffs. Once the deed was done, the Friends could have everyone in New Orleans for their enjoyment, and he'd be out of debt forever.

From there, it was history. He was so close to succeeding, but that rotten waitress and the frog prince ruined his plans, all thanks to the idiocy of that moron, Lawrence. The Friends took him to their world, and his life there was indescribable. It was like being stuck in a jungle full of the most horrifying monsters in the universe, constantly running for his life just so they could have something to chase.

After who knows how long, he developed another plan and proposed it to them, promising to make it work. The Friends begrudgingly agreed, giving him twenty years in his world to complete the task. After all, the Friends had odd pleasures, revenge an the suffering of their enemies being only a couple. Fortunately for Facilier, they hated Tiana and her prince just as much as he did.

And that was how he came to standing on that dark corner in New Orleans, observing those who strolled by and waiting for the perfect candidate to come up. Being in the shadows' world had changed him. He hadn't physically grown much older, a side effect of practically being one of them, and his appearance had become more inhuman and dark. In a way, it was more effective for drawing people in, like he was a magnet.

There were only a couple of years left in the contract. Years ago, right after he'd been released, he had almost gotten his end of the deal done. Tiana and Naveen had made it so easy, even leaving the nursery window open at night so the Shadow Man could spy on his chosen target whenever he wanted. She was a lovely baby girl, that was for sure, and so could be accomplished if he got a hold of her.

But he had to wait for the right time, so he studied the life of the royal family and memorized their daily routine. They were plain, boring people, and hardly left their baby girl out of their sight. That was fine. He simply had to strike at night.

He did so on night when the moon was gone, and a storm was about to rear its ugly head. In hindsight, it was a poor idea. While he thought the thunder would muffle any loud sounds, he forgot that children are often awoken by it, which is exactly what happened. The infant's crying had brought her mother running into the room just as he stretched a thin, lanky leg through the window. She screamed, naturally, which woke everyone else up. Needless to say he failed, and soon after the baby had vanished. He knew they sent her somewhere, he could just never figure out where.

That one horrible night had led him to returning to New Orleans. At one point the considered finding his old family again, but decided against it. They wouldn't want to see him again, and the Friends would just follow him there. He was already stuck with his shadow watching him constantly. No, it would never work. Hs alternative was taking to his former practices, dazzling whoever cared to stop with small parlor tricks, accepting meager donations in return for his entertainment services. It was all he knew to do, and he needed to feed himself. As time slipped through his fingers, he became more and more panicked at the thought of going back with the Friends.

He was scared.

A group of gossiping teenage girls were coming down the street. They were obviously rich from the look of their extravagant high fashion outfits. The rich always tipped well, an extra ten dollars was the equivalent of a penny to them. They didn't need it, so they gave it to him. Teenagers in particular were clueless about money, and very easy to amuse.

Time for him to go to work.

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**To be continued... next chapter**

**Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so so so sorry about the long wait! You see, with school and everything the only time I really have to type is on the weekends, and for the past two weekends I've literally been unable to leave my desk thanks to all the work I've had. Luckily, we had a snow day today so I could use it to work on this. I decided to stick with first person. It was a tough decision, but when I tried to write in third person I discovered that I had a really hard time getting out of Evangeline's head once I was already in it. I kept switching back and forth between the POVs as I wrote, so I figured it must have been a sign that I should just stick with Evangeline's POV.**

**Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter 5: lizziemagic, ForeverACharmedOne, maramouse, 5livelaughlove5, sssweetie, Katie Shmatie, haruko sohma, Carlint, and AmyNW. Love you guys!**

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"Why are guys such jerks?" I mused as I bundled deeper into my plush winter coat. "I mean really? Give me a scientific explanation. I want to know."

"Testosterone." Ruth answered blankly. We each considered it for a moment, walking in perfect synchronized steps down the avenue.

I kicked at a loose rock on the sidewalk, an unusually unladylike action for me. "Well I hate it."

"I can't believe Robby tried that on you." Mary huffed. Only she and Ruth were with me that day. Virginia's aunt had died, and the funeral was all the way in Georgia. "And I used to think he was cute!" Ruth and I stared at her, eyebrows raised and mouths open. Mary did a double take at us and mimicked our expressions. "What? I meant before the whole cheating thing.

Ruth rolled her eyes. "Guys are pigs."

"Here, here." I agreed. "I mean, he pledged his heart and soul to me."

"And then you caught him making out with that wh-,"

"Mary!"

Mary remembered she was in a public place and lowered her voice, "Um, girl."

It was New Year's day, eight days since the Christmas Eve Ball. The streets were strewn with confetti and broken beer bottles that had been tossed aside carelessly by their drunken owners. Many of the stores were having special New Year sales, and since rations had been renewed, everyone was out buying a new pair of shoes or rejoicing at the thought of getting butter. Ruth had been able to buy herself a few yards of fabric.

"You know, Ruthie," Mary changed the subject, "you could just wait to get back to school to sew. They just give us material."

"That cheap stuff? Not a chance. Old Lady Richardson doesn't have a clue what she's doing in that class."

"But still." She got distracted and waved flirtatiously had some boys in suits walking by, giggling like an idiot when one winked at her.

"Mary-y." I groaned.

"What?"

"Why do you have to fall for every guy who crosses your path." I at least had an excuse to be a little irritable. The possibilities of what could've happened that night had Daniel not shown up kept playing through my mind over and over.

"Well I have to start looking for a husband. It can't hurt to keep my options open."

"You're eighteen. You have time." I reminded her, but she brushed me off with a flick of her hand.

"Not really. My sister's hardly a day over 22 and she's just had her second son. I want that." Mary looked off in the distance. Her eyes glazed over and her mouth curved into a dreamy smile.

Ruth snapped her fingers in front of Mary's face. "Snap out of it. You don't have to do everything Anna does."

We bickered for a few minutes, each of us giving our two cents about the best time to get married. Mary voted for ASAP. Ruth said she would marry only after she started her own store so she wouldn't be tied down with whiny toddlers clinging to her ankles. I decided to be general and said later, after men's brains caught up with their bodies. Ruth pointed out that that may never happen.

We were so caught up in our debate, that we didn't even notice the man slinking up toward us. "Ladies!" We jumped, suddenly aware of the skinny, slightly creepy man that was tipping his tall black hat displaying a skull and crossbones toward us. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Facilier! Care to help a poor old sinner out by indulging in a bit of entertainment. Just a few parlor tricks, nothing to worry about."

He smiled at us in a strangely charismatic way. I wasn't sure if it was the dark circles under his eyes, or the way he dressed, or how he had come out of a questionable dark alley, but something about that man scared me. Unfortunately, nothing about him seemed to scare Mary.

"You mean like magic tricks?" She squealed. The man flinched, but only for a second.

"That's right, little lady. Just step into my office, and I'll show you things beyond your wildest dreams. I can read you future, read your palm, or even read your soul." He chuckled eerily, holding out his hand down the alley.

"I don't know-," Ruth started to protest, but Mary was already prancing down the shadowy walkway. He looked at us expectantly and I sighed.

"I guess we have time." I looked at Ruth, who just shrugged her shoulders and started following Mary. Dr. Facilier led us down the alley to a decorated door that had symbols and marking etched into the peeling paint. It creaked when it opened and the echo made my ears twitch.

There was a circular table in one section of the large, candle-lit room we entered. It was through a beaded curtain and raised above the rest of the room. The walls were covered in alien-like masks and there were shelves piled high with jars and odd collectables. The whole place smelled strongly of incense. "Please," Dr. Facilier said as he drew back the bead curtain, "take a seat, and take a card." Faster than I would have thought possible, he was pulling out a chair for himself. I looked at Ruth uneasily as he pulled a deck of card from thin air and spread it out in his hands. "Just take three." The voodoo man instructed.

Against my better judgment, we obeyed, though it took much longer than necessary. Mary couldn't decide which cards she should take. She finally settled on three, but only after our host urged her to finish up. I looked at my cards expectantly, but they were nothing but ordinary suits; a jack of spades, an eight of diamonds, and a three of spades. Dr. Facilier took Mary's cards first, and revealed to us that hers had small illustrations on them, depicting her life. According to the cards, Mary was always in the shadow of her sister and brother from birth, a fact that was indeed true. He must have heard us talking about it when we walked up.

But we never mentioned her brother.

He went on to the present, telling Mary what she already knew, that she wanted to be through with school so she could get married and start a family. He moved on the to last card, which showed a woman holding a book and surrounded by children clutching at her skirt. "You will have many children indeed, each one special in their own way." Dr. Facilier explained. I could almost see Mary salivating as she stared wide eyed at the cards.

Next was Ruth. Her first card, Dr. Facilier explained, told us that Ruth had a well-developed talent from a young age, one that gave her good marks in school and helped her excel. The next said that school was constricting her, and with the war going on she couldn't reach her full potential. Ruth showed no emotion at the first cards. She knew that stuff already, and she didn't need some crazed magic man to remind her of her troubles. But, when the last card came up depicting a woman surrounded by photographers and magazines, she couldn't hold back the small hopeful smile that graced her lips. "You'll get all the credit you deserve, and your talent will not be wasted. The world will know your name, and everything you do will be seen and heard."

He finished, and turned to me. I grazed my fingers over my cards again, worried. My cards showed no pictures, told no stories. They were just ordinary. What did that mean. Before I could have my question answered, Ruth asked one of her own. "How do you know all this?"

Dr. Facilier said nothing for a moment and looked up at his overly-decorated walls. The masks stared back at him with their grim wooden faces. "I got friends on the other side." He smiled at us. "And they give me the power to see everything, to know all." He said nothing more, and gracefully swiped up my cards. They rested in his hands for no more than a few seconds as he studied them, then he spread them out on the table for us all to see. My eyebrows shot up when I saw that they were no longer simple numbers, but, like the others, they too were illustrated. Impressive.

The first card showed two people, a man and a woman, in regal dress looking down on a blanketed baby. Glancing over at Ruth and Mary, I found they were as confused as I. I didn't recognized those people at all.

Dr. Facilier didn't look very normal either. "You were born into a good family," He began slowly, "but hard times forced them to give you up. You were brought to a different country and put in the care of their good friend." Okay, that was sort of plausible. I knew I was adopted, but Aunt Charlotte had never told me much about my parents, and I had never pressed the issue much.

He put his long finger on the next card, his mouth turned into a firm frown. This one showed a girl who looked annoyingly like me set in front of a night sky, sadly discarding a rose. A single bright star shone just above her head. "Now you're livin' the high life, safely distant from the war and oblivious to your origins. You once believed in the fairytales your guardian loves so much, but a bad relationship changed your mind and made you bitter."

"I'll say." Mary chirped, and I shot her a glare.

"But," He was on the last card. It showed the same girl in a mess of confusion, stuck between one world and another. A broken heart and a healed one conflicted behind her. "Soon you'll learn things you never thought you'd know. You'll question your past and have a hopeful new future awaiting you, but you have to know how to accept it. And perhaps," He watched me carefully. I could feel his dark eyes on me, "things won't turn out quite the way you or anyone else expects them to."

Okay, I was officially creeped out. Ruth and Mary were giving me weird looks and Dr. Facilier wouldn't stop staring, like he was trying to see something in me. We stayed like that for a long while, though whether it was seconds or minutes or hours I couldn't tell. Finally, Ruth gathered her bags and pushed herself free from the table. "Well, it's getting late. Our parents will be waiting…," She turned to Mary on her left and then to me on her right, sternly twitching her eyes to tell us to get out of there.

I hopped up quickly, glad to be rid of the voodoo nonsense. "Yes, you're right."

"Here," Mary dropped a couple bills on the table so they covered up my cards, "Thank you for the magic tricks. They were really neat."

"No," Dr. Facilier murmured softly, "Thank _you_." I was out of there faster than a cat in a dog park. Oh shoot…I'm turning into Aunt Lotte.

The bright sunlight on the street was all too welcoming when we plunged ourselves out of the filthy alley. As I savored the crisp, cold air, I realized how hard I was panting. Ruth put a hand on my shoulder and turned me around to face her. "Are you okay?" She asked, her expression full of worry.

"I'm fine," I said, though I didn't sound very convincing. "It's just…you and Mary's cards were so spot on and…your futures were so happy. Mine…I don't know what to make of it. And what about my parents? My _real_ parents. I always figured they were dead or something."

Ruth tightened her grip on my shoulders to bring me back to reality. "You don't actually believe all that mumbo jumbo do you?"

"No," I snapped, "but how did he know so much about you two?"

"I don't know." Ruth admitted. "I probably heard us talking about Mary's sister, and maybe we mentioned John too. I can't remember. Plus, he could have seen my bags from the fabric store. That would have tipped him off. All of it was just a series of lucky guesses, that's all."

_But he still knew I was adopted. _"Yeah, I guess."

"But he did have a point about you turning bitter. You used to love thinking you could have a fairytale romance, and all that cheery stuff." Ruth put her finger to her cheek as she remembered a previous me, a happier me.

"I'm not that girl anymore." I waved my hand irately, as if pushing away the memories. "That girl left with Robby George."

"Now that that's settled," Mary interjected, eager to get away before we started fighting, I'm sure. "Mom's expecting me home for dinner. We're having some friends over and they're bringing their son!" So we set off for home. We were all exhausted from our long day of walking, and our feet were sore by the time we reached our street. Ruth and Mary lived next door to each other, and their houses were the first we came to. Mine was a couple blocks down.

As I've mentioned before, it was a quiet street, but a few straggling pedestrians were still trickling into their respective homes. The sun wasn't yet gone, but its fiery edge was skimming the western rooftops and sending long shadows over the city. I looked up at the green, blue and purple tinged sky. It was like a rainbow, red at the horizon and shifting to violet at the highest point. The Evening Star was already up, and its left hand companion was starting to shine along with it. The Second Star to the Right, she'd once heard the Evening Star called. Like the star in _Peter Pan_.

"Hey!" I didn't see the man I walked into until both of us were stumbling backwards.

"I'm sorry!" I gasped, rubbing my arm where I'd run into a fence.

"Watch where you're going will ya- Evangeline?"

My head snapped up. "Daniel Benoit?" It was him all right, one arm rubbing the back of his neck as he righted himself on the sidewalk. There was a silent moment between us, more awkward than anything else, as we each checked ouselves for injuries.

"What are you doing walking around with your head turned up like that? You'll get yourself killed." He lectured me suddenly, sounding like some overprotective brother.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Well if you were paying attention you would have simply dodged me, so I suppose we're both at fault here."

"Touché. Are you alone?" He looked around then back at me, though the answer to his question was obvious.

"No, I'm with you, of course."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "It's almost night, and you're walking the streets alone. Not even this neighborhood is totally safe this time of day." He put his hand on the small of my back, his touch sending shivers up my spine. "I'll escort you home."

I jerked away from him. "Oh, so because I'm a girl means I can't fend for myself? I don't need your chivalry." Daniel grabbed my wrist before I could start to walk away.

"No," His voice was soothing. It bugged me. I didn't want to be soothed. "I'm just stating a fact. Do I need to remind you what almost happened on Christmas Eve?" No, he didn't.

I sighed deeply, giving him as much of the evil eye as I could muster. Darn his stupid handsome face. "You're not going to budge are you?"

"No, Miss La Bouff, I am not." He said smugly.

"Fine. You have the _privilege_ of escorting me home. It's not far anyway." He offered his arm, but I ignored it and started walking on my own. I heard him jogging up beside me, but didn't turn my head when he started making conversation. "So what was going on between you and Robby?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, it seemed like you must have had some sort of past."

"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't, but I don't think it's any of your business." I looked at him from the corners of my eyes, but I didn't see arrogance or boredom like I would have seen in Robby. I saw genuine concern.

"I'm just trying to help," He said tenderly. We slowed our walk to a gentle stroll. A streetlight flickered on above us, sending golden streaks of light through our hair and across our cheeks. Daniel's face seemed to almost glow. "I remember my little sister gossiping about you two a while back. Didn't you go together?"

I let my hand slide along the iron fence that separated a private residence from the public. "Yes," My eyes looked down and studied the cracks in the cement. "For a while. But it ended months ago."

"Why?"

I didn't want to open my big mouth, but some force inside me willed it to happen. "I was heading over to his house. He said he was sick and couldn't make our date, so I thought I'd bring him some gumbo from Tiana's Palace. My Nana manages it, and with a little Tabasco that stuff can really clear up the sinuses. Anyway, I was walking to his place, and I passed this couple…kissing on a corner. It was Robby and some model he'd met, and I dumped him on the spot."

Daniel didn't say anything, and thankfully kept a nice gap in between us. "Wow, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." I said in a hushed voice. Then I whipped my head over at him, inexplicably angry. "Aren't you supposed to be heading back up to Yale or wherever it is you're going to school?"

"Columbia," He corrected, startled at the sudden change in subject. "And no…I'm not really going back this semester."

"You're not?" I raised my eyebrows.

"School's not for me." He said simply. "All those professors just droning on and on about theories and history when we could be out living it. I just can't stay cooped up like that."

"Then what are you going to do now?" _Why do you care?_, I asked myself. "Being in school, especially a school like Columbia, can keep you out of-,"

"Out of the war and away from the draft." Daniel finished my sentence for me. "Actually, I think I may join the military, go to Germany or Japan or wherever else they need me and see what happens."

"Are you crazy?" I grabbed his arm and we stopped under a streetlight, just looking at each other.

He shrugged, his eyes disappearing in a shadow for a second as he tilted his head. "Maybe. My parents certainly aren't keen on the idea, but why stay here? Nothing's keeping me here, and I like the idea of just winging it, going where life takes me."

"You'll get killed!" I raised my voice, wondering what in the world was appealing about running around with a gun while bombs explode all over the place.

He watched me calmly, our breaths puffing out foggy air in flawless unison. "Why do you care?" He asked me the same question I'd been trying to answer myself. "You're the girl who didn't want me to walk you home, or even dance with you."

I stammered, unable to combat his accusation. He was right. Why did I care? I didn't need another guy in my life. Let him go off to war, it wouldn't affect me.

But something in my head kept telling me that ignoring him was a very bad idea.

And then I remembered Robby. He broke my heart, and got my hopes up only to bury me alive in regrets and depression. That's just how guys were. They pretended to care about you, and then move on when they get tired of you. I wasn't about to waist my time on another sob story in the making.

"You need to lighten up, Evangeline." Daniel teased, winking his perfect - perfect? - green eye at me. "I think this is your house."

"I do _not _need to lighten up." I ignored the last thing he said, but glanced over my shoulder, confirming that we were, in fact, at my house.

"Sure you don't." He chuckled. "I guess we'll have to see. Tell you what, have lunch with me, next week. I'll show you the _real _way to live." It wasn't a request, or a command. It was just a sort of statement, and I found myself nodding yes.

"Wait," I said, suddenly remembering my schedule. "School starts next week. I can't." Was I really frantically trying to find a good time to meet him? Was I picturing my calendar, trying to figure out when I was free? I couldn't be. Did next weekend work? Why did I _care?_

"How about next Saturday, then?" He suggested. Saturday. Yes, Saturday worked.

"Okay." I agreed, fiddling with my hair nervously. My cheeks blushed pink as he took my hand and kissed it, like he had back at the dance. This time, though, it meant something more.

"See you then." And we parted, he walking in the direction we came from, and I walking up the driveway to my home. Nervous yet happy energy bubbled up inside me, and I couldn't help thinking about what I was going to wear. I occasionally caught myself and remembered not to get my hopes up again. There was no way I was going to make the same mistakes I had before. Besides, Daniel Benoit knew how to get on my nerves, and that meant I didn't like him. I couldn't. Could I?

"Have fun?" Aunt Lotte startled me by calling out from in front of the fire place in the living room. She was signing pay checks for the sugar mill employees when I came in.

"Tons." I said, giving her a real smile.

"Did you buy anything?" She peered at me then behind me, as if she expected me to be hiding shopping bags.

"No, Aunt Lotte, I didn't"

"Well why not?" She inquired. Apparently it was impossible for her to comprehend how one could walk into a store on not leave with something new.

"I didn't see anything I wanted is all." I assured her.

"Oh." I turned to head up to my room, but froze when she said, "Who was that you were talking to outside?"

I faced her again, and she was grinning triumphantly at me and bouncing excitedly as she waited for my answer. "Just Daniel Benoit." I'd always been horrible at trying to cover things up, so I gave up on even trying.

"Daniel Benoit?" She giggled and waggled a finger at me. "Reeeeally?"

"Oh stop it, Aunt Lotte. He's just a guy."

"Yeah. A cute guy. I approve."

"Aunt Lotte!" I suppressed a smile. "We're friends, that's all."

"Uh-huh. When's he taking you out?" How was she suddenly so smart?

"We're going to lunch next Saturday. _As friends_." I tried to emphasize the 'friends,' but Aunt Lotte seemed deaf to anything of the sort.

"Okayyyy." She said in a song-song voice.

I gave up and decided it was time for me to finally go up to my room, where I could think in private. "_Good night_, Aunt Lotte."

"Sweet dreams, sugar." I climbed the stairs leading to my tower room slowly, reflecting on the day's events. Aunt Lotte always said tower rooms were for princesses. I'd loved to pretend I was Rapunzel or Cinderella when I was little, trapped and waiting for my knight in shining armor to come rescue me.

Turning on the light, I removed my coat to hang it in my closet, but something fell out of the pocket as I placed it on the hanger. I bent down, carefully picking up the three square objects now lying on my carpet.

The cards?

Yes, the cards from the voodoo man's little show. I looked from the cards to my coat, wondering how they had gotten in my pocket. I certainly hadn't put them there. I turned one over and saw that it was the one representing my past, the one with the man and woman holding a baby. I squinted at it, drawing it toward my face so I could get a good look.

Upon close inspection, I noticed that the man and woman were both bearing golden crowns upon their heads.

They were royalty.

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**Review please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another long wait...so sorry! But I'm back now and Evangeline has promised to dig herself into a little trouble in the next couple chapters just for your entertainment. That's sweet of her.**

**Loving my Chapter 6 reviewers: 5livelaughlove5, Whiteling, Sparkly-Vampire-Wannabe, queenVEExo, Carlint, Nana Cloud, lizziemagic, maramouse, Naara, HeartandLazerBeamGirl, and SomeKindofIdiot!**

**A little challenge for you all, just 'cause I thought it would be kinda fun. I gave a nod to another _Princess and the Frog_ character in this chapter. Can you catch it?**

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Any attempt to sleep that night was useless. No matter how hard I tried to clear my head, I just kept tossing and turning. What did that Dr. What's-his-face mean? The same thought sat in my head night after night for the next week. I wasn't about to ask Aunt Charlotte. What was I supposed to say? "Hey, listen, I went to see this magician guy and he told me my parents are royalty." I'd sound insane.

I finally decided my friends would be the best people to consult. School started up the Monday after New Year's, so I was up bright and early to start up my second semester as a Senior at the New Orleans Girls' Academy. I drove there myself - I'd gotten fed up with the chauffer.

Before the bell rang each morning, the students were everywhere, each of us in our preppy pleated skirts and stockings. During the warmer months, we usually hung out in the courtyard, but the chill in the air drove the student body inside, where we sat by our lockers. Virginia was back from Georgia, so she was already there waiting for me when I walked up with my book bag.

"How was the funeral?" I asked her, trying to be gentle about the subject.

"Fine." She replied indifferently. "I didn't really know Aunt Harriet that well, so it was just a whole lot of hugging old people I'd never seen before."

I smiled. "Did Mary or Ruth tell you about our little adventure?"

"Yes, Mary did, at least. Figures she'd run into a dark alley for a magic trick."

"Yeah," I sighed and sat back against my locker next to her. Turning my head left and right, I made sure none of the girls around us were close enough to eavesdrop, then pulled a card out of my pocket. "Did she mention these?" I handed the card representing my past to her and let her examine it.

"The fortune-telling cards? Oh yeah, she said she's going to have a bunch of kids or something. She didn't say he gave them to you."

"He didn't." Virginia peered at me quizzically, but waited for a teacher to pass by before she said anything.

"You took it?"

"No! I found it in my pocket when I got home. See the two people here? He said they're my birth parents, and look. They have crowns on." I pointed to the two heads bent forward to look at the bundled up baby resting in the woman's arms.

"So, what, you think your parents are a king and queen or something?"

I shrugged meekly, realizing how stupid I sounded. "I don't know. Maybe?"

Virginia gave me the card back and looked at me seriously. "Evangeline, I know being adopted may make you wonder, but I hardly doubt some random guy you meet on the street is going to be able to tell you where you come from."

"But how'd he _know_ I was adopted?" I inquired. "And how'd he know so much about Ruth and Mary?"

"Because he's a con-artist. That's what they do." Then she cracked a small grin. "You know, I'd say you're getting back to your old self, believing in magic and all that."

"I am not!" I protested, crossing my arms.

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Next thing I know, you'll probably be dating again." She teased, just in time for Mary to come skipping down the hallway, her brown braids flying behind her.

"Evangeline Louise La Bouff!" Mary carelessly dumped her stuff against the wall and stomped up to me. "A little bird, aka Marjory Benoit, just told me that you have a date with her older brother! Why did I not hear this sooner?"

Virginia laughed loudly and looked at me with wide, amused eyes. "Did I not completely predict that? I should be the one telling your future."

I shook my head violently. "It's not a date. He thinks I don't know how to have fun so he's taking me out to lunch on Saturday."

"That sounds like a date to me." Virginia commented.

"Definitely a date." Mary added, tapping her foot. I was cornered. Absolutely, undoubtedly cornered. "When did that happen?"

"New Years day. I kind of ran into him on the way to my house." They didn't seem to pick up on my literal meaning. Instead, they gasped and tackled me in an uncomfortable hug.

"What are you going to wear?" Mary pressed for details, but just as I opened my mouth to tell her I had no clue, the bell rang. I snatched up my books and practically flew away, yelling a swift farewell over my shoulder as I headed to my first class. Cooking. It was perhaps the worst of my classes. I had thought that it would be easy to get something right when the recipe and instructions were neatly written out for me, but somehow I still managed to turn a simple cookie recipe into a hockey puck recipe.

I got there first thanks to my quick getaway, but as I placed my books at a work table, others started to trickle in, including the teacher, Mrs. Ballard. She was a nervous breakdown ready to happen, which probably wasn't safe considering we were working with knives and ovens all the time. While the class sat in boredom, she sifted wildly through the papers spread across her desk.

At last she found what she wanted, straightening her glasses as she greeted us. "Welcome back, students. I trust your break went well." There was a low grumble in response. "Fantastic. Now, here are your new partner assignments for this semester." There was a mixed reaction from the other girls. Some were happy, like my partner, Rosie. She hated being paired with me from the first day when I nearly flung a chicken breast across the room. Others were disappointed to part from their friends. Some, like me, couldn't care less.

"At this first table," Mrs. Ballard chirped, holding the paper she was reading about an inch from her face, "Are Dorothy and Jean. At this table, Frances and Phoebe. Jackie and Marie, here. Evangeline and Marjory, there." I moved my things to the table she had pointed to, praying Marjory wasn't going to say anything about Daniel. As soon as she plopped down next to me, I knew I was wrong.

She looked straight at me and quirked an eyebrow up. "So you and my brother, huh?" I peeked at her, checking to see if she was mad. Mad may not have been the word, but threatening was certainly an option. She looked a lot like Daniel, come to think of it. They both had the same green eyes and mouth, but their facial structures were different and Marjory had lighter hair, almost blonde.

"Not really," I bit my lip. "We're just friends I guess. We hardly know each other."

"Not how I hear it." She opened her book, blindly flipping through the pages. "Listen, Daniel and I are really close, closer than you could ever imagine. We tell each other everything. _Everything_." Her eyes locked with mine, and I got her point. "Let me tell you about Daniel, and I'm only doing this because I respect you and think you should have a fair warning. He's not one to settle down. He's gone with a few girls, and none of them lasted very long. But, I know you probably keep likening him and all the other guys in the universe to Robby George - I remember what went on between you two - and I have to say Daniel doesn't deserve that."

"Students!" Mrs. Ballard had finished the partner assignments and was standing at the front of the classroom, holding a bag filled with beans. "Turn to page 576 and we will read on the great diversity of beans! Retrieve your supplies as needed, we got new rations. I expect two types of beans ready for a taste test by the end of the period. Go!"

Marjory and I flipped to the page and began reading. I tried not to make eye contact with her again, but she continued talking anyway. "All I'm saying is, Daniel's really a good person, despite how he may act sometimes, and you better not be using him as some bounce back tool to make you feel good about yourself."

We both kept our heads down and scanned the page, but I moved to get a large bowl from the front of the room. When I returned, I bent my head back over my book and whispered, "I'm not, I promise. I just kind of got sucked into this. Your brother's very…persuasive."

I started boiling some water on our stove, but Marjory moved to take over from there. She was well aware of my reputation in that class.

She chuckled a little, which was a pleasant surprise. "I know. He really should be a politician, but he's just not one to plan like that. He's smart, really he is, he just hates school."

"What do you think about him going into the army?" I blurted without thinking. I gasped, realizing what I'd just said, and rapidly fired out an apology. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude or anything. He just mentioned he might -,"

"It's okay." Marjory assured me with a heavy sigh. "I don't like it, and it makes me worry, but I'll never be able to stop him. It would take a lot to make Daniel want to stay here instead of go off to war. I don't know if anyone will ever be able to knock some sense into him."

I shifted awkwardly, feeling useless as she executed each of the steps listed in the recipe perfectly. "I'm sure he'll be fine." It was the only thing I could think to say.

"Yeah, maybe." We said hardly anything else for the remainder of the class other than small comments on our work. We finished with no time to spare, and luckily passed the taste test, though Marjory did most of the work. I'm glad she at least understood that I was about as useful as a rock rather than ordering me around and yelling at me when I did something wrong like Rosie.

We parted with polite goodbyes. The rest of the day is impossible to recall. The rest of the week actually. I went through the same routine with each sunrise, and the nights were all identical. As soon as I pulled the covers over me, my mind was bombarded with thoughts of Daniel and my birth parents. It had been so long since I'd even had a crush, and in my whole life I almost never thought of my birth parents, but ever since…I suppose the Christmas Eve Ball, I didn't even know who I was.

Saturday came too slowly, and I was more than thankful for the chance to sleep in and do away with that dreadful uniform. Unfortunately, Saturday meant I was going on my non-date with Daniel Benoit.

_So he's coming over around…_, I thought, looking at the clock on the wall that read 9:43. _When _is_ he coming? _He never said. I had a small freak-out, frenziedly trying to remember if there'd ever been even a mention of a time. There hadn't. I was sure there hadn't. He could show up in the next ten minutes for all I knew. But, common sense told me lunch was generally around noon, so I organized my preparation so I was ready to go around 11:45. That gave me two hours before he would show up.

I had torn apart my entire closet before I reluctantly had to call Aunt Lotte for help. She was the accepted fashion guru in the neighborhood, and she was only too eager to offer her services.

"This is perfect. You'll look prettier than a magnolia in May in this one." Aunt Lotte held up a white peasant blouse and a high-waist vermillion skirt. I was laying flat on my back on my bed and by no means had a clear view of the outfit, but I'd seen every outfit about a million times by then. At that point, I would've worn a potato sack if she'd told me to.

"Thanks Aunt Lotte." I didn't move, but raised my hand and gave her a thumbs up.

"I'll leave you to get ready then." She stopped in the doorway. "I'm so happy you're getting back to your old self, Eva." That seemed to be the popular opinion lately.

The clock read 10:58 by the time I hoisted myself off the bed and moved to get dressed. I went slowly, knowing I had plenty of time. I'd start my makeup around 11:30, and then all I had to do was wait.

Thoughts started trickling into my mind, troubling thoughts that I really didn't want to think about, but had anyway. What if he didn't show up? What if Marjory was wrong and he really was like all the other guys I've known throughout my life? I hated 'what ifs.' They always ruined the perfect moment. I glanced into the full length mirror I had on the wall, turning left and right as I looked at how the skirt fit on me. I still had my pajama top on, so the full effect wasn't exactly complete, but it worked.

As I flipped my hair this was and that, trying to figure out how it would look best, Aunt Lotte screeched loudly up the stairs, "Eva! There's a handsome boy here to pick you up!"

I jerked my head at the doorway and shouted, "What?!" He couldn't be there already! It was only 11:03. "He can't be!" I yelled out my door.

"Well he is?" the reply echoed off the walls, and sent me scrambling over to my vanity. I feverishly applied foundation, eye liner and lipstick, all while pulling my blouse over my head at the same time. My hair was actually a bit frightening when I caught a look of it in the mirror, and my attempts to arrange it the way I wanted failed miserably. I finally pulled my bangs to the side and fastened them to my head with a small ribbon-adorned barrette. Knowing I would only be unsatisfied, I didn't dare look in the mirror again and tore out the door and down the stairs.

I finally skidded to a stop in the living room where poor Daniel was trapped by Aunt Lotte as she blabbered on about embarrassing things I'd done as a child. "…And she just fell right on the floor and - Oh! Eva you're ready." I didn't really want to know what story she was telling, but I was certainly glad I had kept her from finishing it. Daniel looked at me, obviously relieved to be free from Aunt Charlotte's clutches. He smoothly lifted himself from the couch and crossed over to me, placing his hand gingerly on the small of my back. This time, I didn't move, mostly because my aunt was right there. Mostly.

"Ready to go?" He asked softly, as if the words were meant for my ears only.

I glanced quickly at Aunt Lotte, silently willing her to move. She remained oblivious. "Uh, yeah. I'm ready."

He chuckled and moved to hold the door open for me. "Then let's go. Thank you for the stories, Miss La Bouff. They were…," He looked down at me, his crooked smile present. "Lovely." I wrinkled my nose at him and stepped outside, waiting until we were out by the street before I said anything.

"Why are you here so early?"

"Hello to you, too."

"Do you know how quickly I had to get ready? I had no warning, and no time to properly apply my makeup." I faked anger and refused to look at him.

"Well that's the beauty of it." He exclaimed to the back of my head. "Things done in the spur of the moment are much more authentic than anything that has the time to be censored and masked." I bit back a grin, glad that he couldn't see me. I felt his warm hand on my shoulder, and slowly turned my head and looked up at him. Gosh, he was tall. "This way, I get to see the real you."

He reached up and playfully flicked at my barrette. "Hey!" I swatted his hand away, saving my hair from undoubted destruction. Fixing the accessory back into its place, I casually inquired, "So where are we going, anyway?"

Daniel pondered for a moment, cocking his head to the side and rolling his shoulders. "I don't know. There's a good café place up that was a couple blocks. Up for that?"

"I guess, so, sure." I really had no preference, and as it turned out, the café was quite delicious. I got soup, knowing it would warm me up a bit, and Daniel got some sandwich loaded up with every filling ever placed between two slices of bread. "Is that even good?" I curled my lip at the mess on his plate as he chewed his third bite.

After he swallowed he stared at the various ingredients as if he were just realizing they were there than looked across the table at me playfully. "Not at all. But, hey, now I can say I've tried it." Okay, I had to admit, the accomplished look on his face was absolutely adorable. We chatted endlessly from there on about subjects I never thought I'd converse about with a boy. He asked me about school and told me about all the different things he wanted to do before he was 21.

"But that's hardly two years away!" I exclaimed.

"All the more reason to start now," came his fast reply. Soon after, we were strolling the streets, laughing about random things and window shopping at the most obscure little stores that Daniel had come across at one time or another. At one point, he hopped over a short brick wall into park filled with large trees and took off, only turning his head to laugh when I yelled at him to come back. My only choice was to follow him, and I was eternally grateful for wearing my sturdy shoes.

He was much, much faster than me, as most people were, and I had to sprint hard to keep him in sight. Being the merciful person he was, he slowed down and waited for me to catch up, shouting at me to hurry the whole time. Every one of my questions as to where we were going went ignored. Without warning after we were deep into the quiet section of the park, Daniel grabbed a thick low branch of one of the trees, a big oak, and effortlessly hoisted himself up, climbing several more feet into the braches before he rested on a high limb. I stopped as quickly as I could and looked up at him through the leaves, my upturned face met with his grinning, mischievous face.

"What are you doing now?" I asked while catching my breath. This guy was perhaps the strangest person I had ever encountered.

"I saw an opportunity, and I seized it. Plus, trees are a great place to think or just talk." He patted a spot on the limb next to him and beckoned to me, "Come on up."

He must have been joking. "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

I placed my hands on my hip and started to list the reasons. "Well, I'll ruin my outfit," that earned me a scoff, "sitting on a branch can't possibly be safe, and I really just can't."

"Can't what?"

"Um…climb." I dug my shoe into the dirt when he looked at me, confused.

"Did you never climb trees as a kid?

"No."

"Not once?"

"I was always afraid of heights." I admitted, and Daniel's gaze softened.

He held out his strong hand to me and said in one of the kindest voices I'd ever heard, "Take my hand. I'll help you up."

I looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you kidding me? I'll fall and die!"

Ever patient, he did not withdraw his hand and calmly said, "I won't let you fall, I promise. And you'll be so proud of yourself when you make it up here and join me in the nice peaceful canopy."

My eyes squinted at him, and despite my better judgment, something about him made me answer, "Fine."

I took his hand and cautiously placed one foot on the lowest branch as he hauled me up toward him. "That's it," he advised me along the way, "Just put your left foot there and push up."

"Whoa!" I cried when one of my feet lost its footing, but I did not fall as I thought I would. I looked up at Daniel, who was only a little ways above me, chuckling at the look on my face.

"I told you I wouldn't let you fall." I smiled at him, and before I knew it I was pulled up next to him against the trunk of the great tree. One look at the ground - the very, very far away ground (in my opinion at least) - had me clinging to Daniel's arm for life. My head was pressed against his shoulder, and I could faintly make out the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat. Neither of us spoke, we just sat there and savored the strangely blissful moment. Why did I feel so darn comfortable around him.

Even after I my fear had ebbed, I continued to hold onto Daniel. After a few more moments like that, he took a deep breath, and began to talk again. "How'd you get your name?" He asked me simply.

"My name?" I murmured back like I was awakening from a deep sleep.

"Mmhm."

"I dunno." I removed my head from his shoulder and replaced it with my chin as he swiveled his own head to look down at me. Our faces were so close we could feel each other breathing. Startled, I sat up straight and took to smoothing out my skirt. "Once, my aunt said it was her friends' name for the Evening Star. You know, the star you make wishes on? It's a little odd if you ask me, but this is coming from the girl who used to steal eggs out of the kitchen, draw faces on them and pretend they were people."

"I like your name."

"That's good, I suppose."

"Evangeline." I looked back at him again, expecting him to say something more, but his unfocused eyes clued me in that he wasn't really talking to me. He was just saying my name, feeling the word roll off his tongue. He continued to look off in the distance, and softly murmured his thoughts out loud. "The word 'angel' is right in the middle, almost perfectly." I visualized my name in my head, analyzing each letter as it was etched into my mind with a mental pen. E-V-_A-N-G-E-L_-I-N-E. Angel.

"Yeah, it is." It was kind of cool, actually. I'd never noticed it before.

"It fits you." I blushed and let my hair fall on either side of my head, shielding myself from his knowing gaze. I could see the ground again. The little brown and green blades of grass seemed so much clearer from above.

"Um…," the uneasy feeling of being high up settled into my stomach again, "maybe it's time to get out of the tree?" Daniel laughed to himself and before I could blink he was on the ground and looking up at me. I tried to slide one of my legs down without giving him an opportunity to look up my skirt, but the next branch down wasn't terribly sturdy. Helpless, I looked at Daniel, who held up his arms to me.

"Go ahead," He said gently, "I'll catch you." I wasn't convinced, but it seemed the only way I was ever going to get out of that tree was the hard way. Sliding myself as far to the edge of the limb as I could, I supported myself with my arms until I was as low down as I would get. My eyes squeezed tightly shut as I dropped myself, free falling toward the ground. Strong hands gripped me around my waist and slowly brought me down to the grass, only bringing me closer to his body as I descended. When I opened my eyes I was flush against him, and I jerked away awkwardly to make sure my skirt still covered me in the right places.

"Ready to go home?" He asked me.

"What time is it?"

"Almost four I think." He looked down at his watch and confirmed it. Wow, it hadn't felt like we'd been out that long.

"Yeah, I guess I have to get back." So we made our way back to the main street and casually dawdled home. A reckless bicyclist almost ran me over not too far into our journey, and Daniel grabbed my hand to pull me out of the way. He never let go. We were holding hands. I really wasn't that big of a deal in hindsight, but then it sent my mind reeling.

I can't remember what drew my attention to that familiar corner, but some invisible force turned my head toward it. It looked different, but I realized it was probably due to the absence of the voodoo man. There was no sign of him leaning against the dirty brick building, slyly watching the passers by to lure in another small sum of income. I subconsciously reached my hand into my coat pocket. The cards were still there. I pulled one out, the future card, and hesitantly looked down the alley. Daniel noticed, and opened his mouth slightly. I could tell he was trying to form a question, but didn't quite know what to say.

Before he got a chance, I started pulling him toward the alley. "Where are you going?" He blurted out, though I didn't even slow down.

"I need to ask this guy something." I could see the door at the dead end, and my pulse quickened.

"This isn't a good idea." He disconnected our hands, but when he saw I wasn't stopping, he cautiously followed me. "What good could possibly come from looking for a guy who lives in this place?"

"What good could possibly come from joining the military?" I retorted crossly.

"That's different, it's a career move. This…this is just stupid."

I glared back at him. The door was right in front of me, though I couldn't bring myself to knock on it. Daniel did have a point, I was being incredibly reckless and stupid, yet I desperately wanted to know what the cards meant. Somehow, I knew this man had the answers I needed. I slowly lifted my hand up, and rapped against the splintering wood three times. Nothing happened. There was no noise inside. I tried again, only to get the same result.

"Alright then," Daniel said strongly. "No one's home, and I really think I should get you home now." I was about to agree, and even went as far as turning away to walk, but a loud creaking noise bit at me ears at the last second. I gasped, and looked back.

The door had opened.

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**Goodness gracious, I feel so mean for that cliffhanger, but the good news is, I hadn't initially intended for it to be there. Actually, this chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I felt so bad about not updating that I really just wanted to get this out there. So, since I already know exactly what I want the next chapter to be like, it will most likely come a little quicker. Not to mention I have Monday off of school, which gives me more time.**

**Review:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8! A little shorter than some of the other chapters, but that's okay since it was originally going to be part of Chapter 7.**

**My gosh this story has over 60 reviews so far! That's far more than I ever expected, and thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter who made it happen: lizziemagic, Mrs. Naara, Whiteling, queenVEExo, Persephone's Melody, peaceloveandthedove, and maramouse. Love you all!**

**And away we go!**

* * *

Black. That was all I saw beyond that door. There was not the soft glow of candlelight, as there had been before, and there certainly wasn't a creepy voodoo man standing there to greet us.

I wanted to turn back. Instinct was telling me to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction, but my feet thought otherwise. One stubborn toe eased its way onto the dust-covered cement floor, the slightest of a tap echoing eerily off the walls.

"Hello?" I whispered, though in the silence it sounded like a scream. Daniel kept his hand on my arm protectively, and maneuvered his way in front of me. "Hello?" I called out, more confidently this time. There was a clatter somewhere in the building. I credited it to rats. As we inched further into the room I could make out the faint line of the table we had used for the fortune telling. It was cleared save for the oil lamp sitting dead on the tablecloth.

"No one's here, Evangeline. We should leave now." Daniel hissed. I paid him no mind, though I wished I would. The need to get some answers was stronger. It pulled me in, grabbed a hold of my common sense and tossed it out the door, possibly with my sanity. The oil lamp was there, so close, and I couldn't help but reach out toward it's bulbous shell. As soon as my fingers brushed the cool glass, a flame illuminated within it, and I jumped back, startled.

'H-hello? Dr. Facilier?" I looked around, sensing eyes upon me. "It's Evangeline La Bouff. You read my fortune last week."

I guess I didn't really expect a reply, because when the deep voice thundered from the shadows, I gasped and held on tight to Daniel's strong bicep. "I know who you are." The voice bellowed. "The little princess come back for an explanation." The witch doctor revealed himself behind his tattered chair across the table.

"So you know, then. About my past? My parents?" I released my hold on Daniel and stepped forward. The creepy grin on Facilier's face made my uneasy.

"I know all, with the help of my friends on the other side, of course." I could swear I saw a figure behind him move, but the way the flame in the lamp flickered it must have been a trick of the light. "We've been expecting you."

Daniel touched my shoulder and sent shivers down my spine. "I don't like this." He mumbled softly in my ear.

Facilier was moving gracefully around the table now, casually looking us both over with interest. He leaned forward, catlike in the way he drew near us. "Do you have the cards?" He inquired as if it were a well kept secret. I nodded silently and slid my hand into my pocket. Daniel grabbed my wrist, and I whipped my head around to him. He said nothing, but stared at me disapprovingly, while I stubbornly made eye contact right back at him. Ripping my wrist from his fingers, I pulled the card from their hiding place and held them out for Dr. Facilier to see.

"How did they get in my coat that day?" I accused him. All he did was chuckle and wave his hand over the small fan of cardboard or whatever it was cards were made from. Suddenly Daniel had disappeared from behind me, and the dark walls and wooden masks were melting away. Facilier held up my cards as reality transformed into a new world, one that looked like it had been painted with the art of the cards in mind. Everything had become simply shaped and popped with vibrant colors. I looked around frantically. We were outside a window, levitating dozens of feet in the air and peering into a small room that appeared to be some kind of nursery.

There were cheery murals painted on the walls, scenes from fairytales: Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White, the Frog Prince. Yes, the Frog Prince mural was certainly the most grand, placed opposite the crib where the child that slept there could gaze at the beauty of the carefully illustrated picture. My gaping at the room was interrupted when the door to the nursery opened, golden light washing over the furniture as the dark silhouette of a slender woman cooed over a baby in her arms. Another silhouette, a large, regal man soon joined her, and they spoke joyously to their baby.

I strained to hear what they were saying, but it was like my ears had been stuffed with cotton. The sounds were muffled, and I couldn't even recognize their voices later on if I wished to. As they moved into the room and placed the baby down to sleep, they never lost their shadowy appearance. They looked as if they had been cut from black construction paper, with no detail or form giving any hints as to what they truly looked like.

"Are those my parents?" I asked quietly, not daring to look away from the couple just beyond the window.

Facilier purred happily, "Yes." The figures started to leave the room, the woman leaning heavily on her husband. They stopped in the doorway again, and I watched as she put a hand to her forehead, and the man comfortingly hugged her close. "But raising a child and preparing to run a country was tiring, and burdened them with great responsibility. The king and queen were preparing to step down from power, and having a baby in the picture wasn't an option if the crown prince and princess wanted to make their transition to the throne smooth." I looked at him, mouth agape and eyes wide.

The scene changed, and a swirl of color shifted to darker hues. I recognized my house, the usually bright windows empty save for the windows next to the front door. I car rolled up to the driveway with alarming speed for cars of the time, and the same construction paper people dashed from the vehicle and up to the house, where I could see Aunt Lotte waiting. The exchange was quick, and the brightly lit window gave us a perfect view of the couple brusquely passing off the child - me - to Charlotte. Then they left. Just like that, they were gone.

The world changed again, and Daniel was there, his arms tightly wrapped around me. He was saying something - yelling really. It was my name. I think? Evangeline…that was my name, but it wasn't the word coming from his lips as he gently shook my shoulders. Angel, that was what he said to me so sincerely, so frightfully

I blinked, realizing we were back in reality. My vision focused on nothing, and I'm sure I looked like an insane person, staring at the wall like I'd been through hell and back. Daniel hugged me tight, and I only faintly registered the hot wetness pricking at my eyes and pricking at my cheeks.

"They didn't want me." I murmured, looking at Daniel, my voice quivering. "They didn't want me. I was a burden, and they were royalty. They didn't want me."

"No, they didn't." Dr. Facilier chirped as casually as if he were commenting on the weather. "If it were me, I'd never forgive them…but perhaps you think differently."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook my head furiously. I didn't know why I cared so much when I had never given my birth parents a single thought since I was young. Maybe it was cause now they seemed so real, so near I could almost feel their touch. Before they were nothing but a story, a myth. I had no memories to make me miss them.

"I won't forgive them. Not ever." I didn't sound like myself, my voice turned dark. "I hate them."

"Evangeline, what happened?" Daniel swiveled my shoulders so I faced him, and I made stern eye contact, my brown eyes meeting his green ones with little whimsical emotion.

"Nothing."

I saw him glance briefly at Dr. Facilier then back at me. He tenderly stroked my hair and said, "You need to get home. Come on."

"Yes," I replied robotically, linking my arm with his. "I need to go home, to my real home, with my real mother." We walked slowly, and the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach caused me to require Daniel to support me more than my legs. Turning my head, I nodded farewell to Dr. Facilier. "Thank you. Now I don't need to wonder."

His mouth stretched slightly, showing the gap in his teeth, and he nodded back. "Thank you little princess. You can always trust me for answers." And we left, returning to the bright world plagued with the thin fog of dusk. I wouldn't speak to Daniel as he led me home, and he treated me like I was a ghost. In his defense, I acted like one, gliding over the pavement and almost walking into several people as if I would just go right through them.

I remained in my phantom state until we reached my front gate, where Daniel stopped me and angrily huffed out a breath of air. I knew I was in trouble.

"What were you thinking?" He threw his hand into the air and reproached me. "I don't think even I have done something that stupid."

"It wasn't stupid." I argued. At least, I was pretty sure it wasn't. "I've met him before, I knew what I was doing."

"No, you didn't." Daniel gripped my shoulders and got me to look him in the eye. "Why did you need him to ask about your parents? He probably fed you a pack of lies, and I don't even know what the hell he did tell you. One minute things were normal and the next it was like you were gone, but your body was left behind."

"He knows about my parents! He showed them to me, showed them abandoning me so they could go and be king and queen."

"What are you talking about?" He let go of me and backed away, suddenly unsure about this girl he thought he was getting to know.

"I told you I was adopted, right?" He nodded slowly, and I continued, recounting my first encounter with Dr. Facilier to him. "And today he showed it to me, and I saw the castle they lived in, that I lived in. They're real, and they're royal."

Daniel still looked skeptical. "But how do you know he's showing you the real thing, huh? If he's as magical as he claims to be, than he could be spinning an absolute fairytale just to get your money."

I shook my head desperately, trying to get him to understand. "I just…I just know. Who would lie about something like that? It's just stupid."

"No, walking into a dark alley looking for some voodoo guy is stupid. Look, why don't you just ask your aunt about them? They were her friends, right?"

"She's hardly said a word about them for the past seventeen years, I doubt she'll say anything now." I looked up at the mansion. It looked different from the home I saw in Facilier's painted world. The windows were colored with yellow light, glowing as the sun started to dip under the rooftops of the city.

Daniel edged towards me, a small smile returning to his face. "You won't know till you try." I gently rested against him, letting my head lie on his chest and listen to the steady sound of his heart.

"It scares me," I admitted softly, "thinking that they didn't want me. Why didn't they want me? I always figured they must have had a good reason, and I guess I was glad to have Aunt Lotte and Nana with me, but all of a sudden I'm just really bothered that I wasn't good enough for them."

Daniel kissed the top of my head and kept his arms around my waist. "Well, they should be sorry not to have you. I know they if they knew what a fantastic, fun, and slightly idiotic person you've become," I wriggled out of his arms and crossed my arms in faux hurt, but he grinned and pounced, tickling me and forcing me to laugh my stress away. "They would regret not getting to see you grow up."

"Hm." The weight of my pockets seemed so much lighter without the cards there, and I was surprised at how noticeable it was.

"How about we change the subject?" Daniel suggested, jumping up onto a ledge next to the gate and seizing one of the iron bars so he could hang from it. "I do believe your birthday is coming up, is it not?"

I giggled at his formality. "It might be."

"Could you specify?"

"February." I was playing coy, though he kept up with the game very well.

"What day?"

"The twentieth."

He hopped from the ledge, seemingly amused by my answer. "You mean Mardi Gras?"

"Is it?" It was hard to remember the last time I'd looked at a calendar, but it was still January and I wouldn't have looked ahead to February anyway. "Are you sure?"

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he chuckled lightly. Gosh, I loved that playful twinkle he had in his eye. "I should know, my parents started planning their annual masquerade the day after their last one."

I grinned like the Cheshire Cat, knowing Aunt Charlotte was very much the same way. "Then I guess that no matter what I'll probably be spending my birthday with you." We both liked that idea very much, the previous ominous mood that had followed us home evaporating as we strolled up the driveway swinging our connected hands back and forth. When we got to the door, the awkward moment while we decided whether or not to kiss was not absent, and I made the final decision by ending our date with hug instead. I wasn't ready to take that step yet, not after Robby.

It wasn't exactly uncomfortable but…I could tell he had been hopeful for a kiss. Still, I pleaded that he understand I wanted this to be slow. He had to understand. Assuring me it was fine and that he knew it must be tough for me after such a serious relationship, he let me go inside and headed down the porch steps. I watched him from the window and waved at him when he turned for reasons I may never know.

My affection for him was rapidly turning into more than a crush that much I knew. It was shocking, but a nice change from wondering every day if every guy was going to end up like Robby, or if I could even start to like another guy. It didn't feel like love yet, and I had no clue if the relationship would be anything more than a high school romance, even though Daniel wasn't in high school, or school at all. They way books and movies showed love it seemed like it should be obvious when you meet your soul mate, but I didn't think anyone was ever sure. For all I knew, in ten years Daniel and could be married with kids, or we could be happily broken up and seeing different people.

"I'm home, Aunt Lotte." I called to my aunt, who was sitting in our very industrial kitchen madly tapping her fingers as she read a letter, its mutilated envelope sitting on the floor almost ten feet away.

Considering I did sort of sneak up on her, I should have expected the scream. Sadly I didn't, and I clutched my chest as Aunt Charlotte flailed and saved herself from plummeting to the floor. "Eva!" She screeched, righting herself and scrambling toward me, the letter almost ripping where her fingernails clutched at it. "You'll never guess what just happened!"

"No, I probably won't." Should I have been scared? Charlotte's news generally involved parties or salons.

"Your - Did I ever tell you I know the king and queen of Maldonia?" She stuttered slightly, and I guessed it was her excitement that had her slurring her words. The look in her eyes though…fear? Caution? "Well, they're old friends of mine, we go way back."

Way back? Could they be…no, no. It wasn't like she'd never spoken of my parents before, and if the rulers of Maldonia were the people in question she wouldn't be wondering if she'd ever told me about them.

"They met you when you were a baby, but I haven't seen them in years." Charlotte went on, nervously twiddling her fingers. "Anyway, I wrote the first letter in forever to the queen not too long ago, wondering if maybe she and the king would like to come down here for Mardi Gras, since they haven't been to New Orleans in so long. Did you know Mardi Gras's on your birthday this year?"

"I may have heard that." Images of Daniel's happy face flashed through my mind, and I was caught in a moment of bliss.

"Well, I got a letter back today and they agreed! They have business to attend to the day before, but they'll be able to go to the Benoit's ball! Isn't that exciting. I can't wait for you to see them, Evangeline, and I know they're dieing to see you all grown up and all." Then, like all proud parents/guardians, she started to get all nostalgic and mushy. "It seems that just yesterday you were a little baby playing with your dolls and running around in your diaper."

"Spare me the imagery, please." I hugged her and said I was going up to my room. "I can't wait to meet your friends. I've never met royalty before."

"Your Aunt's got some pretty neat connections, doesn't she?" Aunt Lotte looked downright pleased with herself, and the least I could do was share in her happiness. But the question was nagging in the back of my mind, trying to get me to dig up the courage to ask about my parents, the royalty I really did want to meet. I bit my tongue. It would just put a damper on her pleasure.

"Yeah, you really do."

"We are going to have a real birthday bash for you on Mardi Gras, I promise!"

I sighed inwardly, genuinely frightened at the idea of Aunt Lotte combining my birthday and Mardi Gras into one. Joy. "I don't doubt it. I'll be down for dinner."

"See you then, sweetheart!"

So I was going to meet the king and queen of Maldonia, on both my birthday and the Benoit's masquerade ball. I supposed it would be fun, and unlike past years I would have Daniel to spend the evening with. Considering he was one of the hosts that would come with certain advantages.

I wondered if whoever worked up at Columbia had noticed they were missing a student yet. Daniel made no mention of it, but it hadn't been long at all that the semester had started. It was sickening to think that as soon as it was made clear that he was dropping out that his name would be added to the draft, and at any time he could be called in to serve.

That could be worked out another day, I finally concluded, at another time, another place.

I had other problems, problems that led me to find solace in my favorite story as a child: The Frog Prince. I don't know what it was about that book that made me suddenly feel closer to all the unknowns in my life - aka my origins - but its beautiful illustrations and heartfelt words always made me feel peaceful.

So I lifted up its worn hardback cover and let myself be engulfed in its magic of sweet smelling pages and watercolor figures.

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**Reviews are my motivation to keep writing this, so even if you're just a lurker please give me your thoughts:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**So...there were several ways I could've taken this chapter, and I figured it was time we had a little scene with our two favorite (former) frogs! It's not a long chapter, but I was glad to switch up the POV this time. And is anyone else as excited for _The Princess and the Frog_ to come out on DVD as I am? I'm definitely renting it ASAP. A shout out to all the Chapter 8 reviewers (there were so many of you!): Whiteling, 5livelaughlove5, Candace Hale, queenVEExo, peaceloveandthedove, Maxilove, Naara, maramouse, charliepaceluver117, Sparkly-Vampire-Wannabe, Carlint, Persephone's Melody, lizziemagic, and Chocolate Tunda. Thanks for your support!**

**By the way, I noticed back in Chapter 7 no one caught the character reference I'd hidden, so I'll just tell you now. It was Louis! Evangeline's middle name is Louise - I guess Tiana and Naveen wanted to name something that would remind them of both of their bayou friends:) Anywho, on with the story.**

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Queen Tiana of Maldonia considered herself a very rational, put together person. Ever since she was young, she had lived a hard but rewarding life, one that required her to be a no-nonsense girl. Hardly a tear was shed through the tough times that tested her while she was still a struggling waitress in the grand city of New Orleans, and her father's death in the war had only made her stronger and more determined. Then there was when she had to make her way through the dangerous bayou as a _frog_ with an conceited prince (who ended up marrying her - she still wondered how that happened) and move to a foreign country to become its queen.

How was it, then, that in the past 18 years it had been so much easier to break her down until she was hardly sturdier than a mound of gelatin?

The culprit at the moment was a simple piece of paper, specially sprayed with a puff of perfume so the author of the note could be easily identified. And identified, she was. As soon as Tiana's fingers broke the old fashioned wax seal of the letter, the familiar scent immediately pointed to one person: Charlotte La Bouff, the un-proclaimed queen of New Orleans herself.

It had been countless years since the two had last written each other. So long, in fact, that Tiana was surprised Charlotte still wore the same perfume. It had been such a shock when a servant had delivered the letter to her. She had been eating lunch with the ruler of a neighboring country and had to excuse herself to keep from breaking down in front of them. Just reading the name Evangeline had given her goose bumps. It was like seeing a ghost or someone long thought dead.

Tiana put her cheek in her hand and let her elbow prop up on the desk, turning her head so she was staring straight at the decorative mirror on the wall of she and the king's shared study. They had both changed so much in the time since they had left New Orleans. Being royalty meant they had access to the latest products to keep themselves looking young, but the stuff still didn't hide the faint lines of age forming around their faces. Tiana didn't care much for it anyway; Naveen used it more than she did.

The letter had arrived the week before, and she and Naveen had spent several days discussing what their answer would be. With all their hearts they wanted to see their daughter, their Evangeline again, to hold her in their arms like real parents were supposed to do. But Facilier had never been caught, and who knew where he could be lurking. Besides, it had been too long to ever hope for the perfect family life they had dreamed of when Evangeline was born. She had grown up without them, and had a different kind of family with Charlotte, Eudora, and whatever friends she had. Maybe she even had a boyfriend by then. How could they expect her to accept them as her family the instant they meet?

Tiana jumped slightly when she heard the door open behind her, twisting herself around in the chair so she could see who the intruder was. "The Prime Minister never stops talking!" King Naveen exclaimed as he flung himself into his plush chair, laying sideways so he was lounging with his legs over the cushioned arm. "I mean, really, every time I meet with him its just blah blah-blah blah-blah. It's amazing I don't fall asleep."

Shaking her head, Tiana reminded her husband, "I _offered_ to speak to him this time." Naveen hated all the official work that came with being the king. He preferred the parades and public appearances.

"Yes," Naveen said reluctantly, "but you're doing this whole moody, stressful thing lately. And moody with boring isn't a good combination." Tiana glared at him, but he just smiled toothily back at her and crossed the room. Taking her shoulders in his hands, he began to massage them gently, earning him a content sigh from his queen. "You must relax, _mon amour_. Everything will be wonderful, you will see."

"How can you be so optimistic?" Tiana wondered aloud.

Naveen shrugged. "Easy, I stop thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Facilier hasn't been around for years, the coast is clear, so we'll go celebrate our daughter's birthday and start teaching her how to be a princess so she can be queen one day."

"Do you really think it's that simple?"

"No," He admitted, "but we can deal with the annoying stuff later. For now, we can daydream about what it will be like to finally see our sweet little Evening Star."

Tiana let herself smile softly, remembering the joyful face of their infant daughter before she had been sent away. "Charlotte says she looks like you, you know."

"Does she? Well, then she must one of the most beautiful girls in the world."

"Why did I marry you? You're far too arrogant." Tiana teased, standing up from her chair and facing Naveen. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him so that their foreheads were touching.

"Because I think the other most beautiful girl is you." He closed the distance between them slowly, letting first their noses touch, then their lips. It was a short kiss, but after so many years together the smallest of gestures could express enormous amounts of passion.

"Mm. Now I remember." She breathed, pulling him into another somewhat deeper kiss. Pulling away, she giggled a little to herself, a new twinkle in her eye. "I can't wait to see Evangeline's reaction when she finds out she's a princess."

Naveen pondered the thought, and gleefully provided his own answer. "Probably like yours when you turned into a frog." His voice rose several octaves in a faulty impression of Tiana on that fateful night. "How'd I get all the way down here? And how'd you get all the way up there? Aaaaaaaah!" His face was priceless as he screamed and rushed at his wife, taking the opportunity to make use of her weaknesses. She was already laughing at Naveen's little performance, and her ticklish nature was the icing on the cake. They both collapsed to the floor as the Frog Prince's fingers danced across her stomach and reduced her to begging and pleading for him to stop, all while laughing.

"For goodness sake- get off me!" Tiana gasped for air and struggled to release herself from where she was pinned on the floor. "If someone walks in here Naveen I swear - ah! - we're supposed to act dignified and you're - stop that! - acting like you're five."

"And what's wrong with that?" He said smoothly, his accent still managing to make her heart skip a beat. "Maybe I'm going through a mid-life crisis. I don't really want to turn 42 this year. And you'll be -,"

"Naveen!" Tiana scolded him playfully. "It is _not_ polite to point out a woman's age."

"Oh come on! We both know how old you are."

"I'd rather it not be said out loud." She said with chagrin. They laid there and made fun of each other for a while longer, Naveen keeping himself propped up above his wife and wanting nothing more than to kiss her again rather than chit-chat. He was about to indulge in his fantasies when they heard a small gasp from the hallway.

"Your Majesties, you - oh! Oh my." Naveen jumped up as fast as he could, guiltily glancing at their butler standing nervously in the doorway.

"Sorry about that, Eligio." He mumbled like a preschooler who had been caught sneaking a hand into the cookie jar. Eligio, a loyal friend, bless him, cleared his throat and hastily dismissed the matter.

Tiana stood, straightening her skirt and folding her hands, a tell-tale sign she was back to her usual, serious self, addressed the butler with a regal tone. "What is it, Eligio?"

"Well, I have confirmed a flight to New Orleans early on the twentieth. I'm afraid it's not quite early enough, you may be a tad late to the masquerade."

"Fashionably late." Naveen corrected and flipped his hair dramatically, though the little trick had worked so much better when he had been young enough to pull it off.

Eligio continued, having become well practiced in ignoring his employer, king or not, too the encouragement of Tiana. "Also, the Prime Minister wishes to go over one more issue concerning taxes-," Naveen groaned loudly in protest, but Eligio didn't hesitate, "- with the queen, as he feels she will be less likely to doodle cartoon puppy dogs on her paperwork while he's speaking." The king's mouth snapped shut and he feigned innocence while Tiana shook her head disapprovingly.

"Of course, Eligio, tell him I'll be right there." The butler left without a bow - he had gained that privilege after his many years of service. It would even be he who accompanied the king and queen to the queen's home city for their daughter's birthday, and it had been he who had been with them the last time they were there. Secretly, it warmed his heart to know he would see the young princess again. "And you - you are such a child! I don't know what to do with you. For once, could you try to focus on your work? We have a country to run here, and I seem to know what I'm doing far more than you and you were raised for this! Honestly, I'm can see what your mother meant by -,"

She was cut off with a firm peck on her lips as he bound to the door before she could chastise him further. She chuckled to herself as she heard his distant voice in the hallway yell happily, "Just think about Evangeline!"

Well she didn't need any encouragement to do that. Evangeline had been the only thing on her mind for days. Butterflies tickled her stomach at the idea of seeing her again, and the sensation threatened to make her giggle out loud as she made her way through the palace's maze of hallways. Tiana doubted even she could pay much attention to the Prime Minister with such a thing on her mind. As she passed through a hallway on the back side of the castle, she stopped at a window overlooking the stables.

_Is it that late already?_ She asked herself, taking in the darkness of the skies and the little diamonds that lay scattered in the silken blackness. Of course, as always, Evangeline and Ray were brighter than all the others, always smiling down upon her from the heavens. Tiana knew she had to hurry before the Prime Minister got impatient, but she took a moment to gaze out at the two Evening Stars. Bringing a small hand to her lips, she blew a kiss to her old friend and his girl and whispered, "Thank you." Then she lifted her skirt and shuffled off to talk of taxes and government.

* * *

Back in New Orleans was another character equally happy, and for about the same reason, though the feeling welling up in his heart wasn't nearly as pure and innocent.

"We've got 'em!" The witch doctor said, giddily practicing his card tricks with his feet resting lazily on the table. "Ha ha, we've got 'em!" He was elated, in the best mood he had been in for seventeen years. Unable to help himself, he switched off the radio detailing a recent battle in some overseas country and replaced it with an old jazz tune he slapped onto the phonograph. Before any of the Friends knew what was going on he was up on the table recalling all of the dance moves he had invented as a kid. His shadow, ultimately the only one who really spoke to him anymore, hissed in his ear.

"You fool! Don't make the same mistake you did before. It's not over until the deed is done, and the deed is most certainly not done!"

Facilier waved the shadow off, not caring that he was making the Friends testy. They would be out of his hair soon enough. "It might as well be. The little princess could have just handed herself to me on a silver platter, and we've got that boyfriend of hers to consider. He's perfect leverage."

"That may be true," The shadow yanked Facilier from his dancing fantasy and let his stumble down from the table. "But the plan is not yet executed. Things can go wrong, and you must remember who we're after. We," it spoke of itself and the other Friends. It was rare for 'we' to indicate Facilier and the Friends, as if they were truly family, "will settle for nothing lessss."

"Calm yourselves, my Friends." The Shadow Man said, little worry evident in his voice. "The whole thing will go off without a hitch. Yes, the plan is a bit complicated and lengthy, but it's nothin' I can't take care of." As he spoke, a shadow scout flew in through the door, its frayed wings somehow creating a draft when they beat up and down. It dashed to Facilier, dropping the shadow of a levitating piece of paper so he could catch the real thing in his hands. Slowly, a wide grin spread across his cheeks, stretching from one ear to another. "Well, well, well. What a convenient little development we have here."

"What?" The shadow growled impatiently.

Facilier folded the letter, depositing it neatly in an inside pocket of his jacket. "It would seem we no longer have to hunt down the prey. The prey is coming to us." Hoots and hollers surrounded him, the masks coming to life in the most eerie way possible. They swirled around him, joining in on his revelry like tribal spirits, which, in fact, they were. "The prey is coming to us!" He shouted once more, provoking more excitement among the Friends, the feeling of power that had become his drug coursing through his veins and making him high. It was a wonder he hadn't experienced in a long time, and he welcomed it with open arms.

This was why he'd allied the Friends in the first place, why he had left his family. Just one second of that feeling made the years of toil and hardship all worth it. He would finally win.

_How about that, Mama Odie,_ he thought proudly, _looks like you were wrong. I have everything I need and more._

**Oh dear! What could the voodoo man have up his sleeve? I love hearing from everyone about what they thought of the chapter, so please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know, I know. It's been 3 weeks since my last update. But, rest assured, I have not given up on the story or died or anything. You can all blame my school making spring break super early. I mean, really? What's the point of going to the beach if it's too cold to do anything? **

**But now I'm back with Chapter 10! Yay double digits! Huge thanks to the Chapter 9 reviewers: peaceloveandthedove, lizziemagic, Naara, 5livelaughlove5, Chocolate Tunda, Maxilove, Arinlianette, maramouse, future Halliwell, and haruko sohma!**

**Be warned: this chapter isn't happy. In fact, I got despressed writing it, which is probably why it isn't one of my best. But I felt it was crucial to keep the relationship between Evangeline and Daniel from being the annoying kind that never encounters any problems, and it's a necessary plot point. Read on!**

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Over a month of time was the only thing that barred our way from the night I found out the truth about my parents to Mardi Gras. It felt like that should have been such a long wait, but somehow it was so filled with events and plans that I hardly noticed when one day turned over to another. I constantly had something to do, whether it was schoolwork or hanging out with my friends. Or being with Daniel. That took up a significant amount of time.

So many firsts were packed into that month. I bought my first costume without Aunt Charlotte's help for the masquerade. Granted, Ruth did assist, but I still made the decision myself. I also received my first ever failing grade. Okay, that wasn't exactly a good thing, but with all of the things going on in my life how could Mrs. Ballard really expect me to put all that effort into making a soufflé that didn't explode? I thought she should have been proud that I discovered a way for it to explode in the first place.

There was, however, one first that most definitely triumphed over the others in making me a bundle of nerves: My first dinner at Daniel's house.

I'd met Daniel's parents before, of course. They'd been dinner guests a couple times at our home, and we often ran into each other at social events. I'd just never been a guest at their home while under scrutiny as a possible _daughter-in-law_. Marriage was not on my list of things to do for at least a million years, but the Benoit's deserved a world record for most hints dropped at the dinner table. They were good natured and all…but I could have gone a lifetime without their prodding and been perfectly fine.

The seating was arranged with Mr. Benoit at the head of the table and Daniel at his left hand, across from Mrs. Benoit. I sat next to Daniel and across from Marjory, who scared me more than either of her parents did. I don't think her eyes ever left me the whole meal. In fact, I don't even think she blinked.

"This is fantastic steak." I commented after the main course was served, hoping an exaggerated amount of politeness would be enough to keep me in their good graces.

Mrs. Benoit smiled at me from her seat on the opposite side of the table and graciously told me, "We had the chef prepare it special. We were thrilled to hear that Daniel had invited you over. I can't remember the last time he had wanted us to meet one of his girlfriends."

"Really?" I replied, my attention snared. Exactly how many other girls had there been, I wondered. I stole a sideways glance at Daniel. His scandalously untrimmed hair was falling haphazardly onto his forehead, but I could still see his eyes and notice how he tensed.

"I'm just glad to see you being serious about something for once, after all that money we wasted on sending you to Columbia." Mr. Benoit said gruffly. My food promptly become more interesting than my surroundings. They wouldn't dare start a fight right then. Would they? Another glance at Daniel, and my fears amplified. He was gripping his steak knife so hard his knuckles were white. I tentatively put a hand on his arm, trying to calm him as he had calmed me several times. Robby had had a temper, and I really didn't want to know if Daniel had one too. Ignorance was bliss, after all.

"Dad." It wasn't Daniel who issued the low warning, as I'd expected. It was Marjory, who had managed to rip her gaze away from me for a few seconds. "Drop it."

Mr. Benoit held up his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine." But I could tell that later, after the leftovers were cleared and I was safe at home, the subject would most certainly be picked back up.

Daniel's mother was on edge the rest of the night. I commended her for trying to keep the evening somewhat pleasant. She engaged me in conversation as much as she could, asking me about school and my life at home. Marjory oh so kindly mentioned to her how I had caused an evacuation of the school when our casserole caught on fire during Cooking class. Luckily, Mrs. Benoit brushed the incident off and said with the money Daniel was to inherit and my own combined I'd never have to worry about cooking anyway. If we got married, that is. At least she did remember the 'if.' I could see the gears of her brain turning as she inquired about Aunt Charlotte's sugar mills and whether or not I planned to take over the business. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone as excited as she was when I answered yes.

"Now, wouldn't a sugar business and a banking empire like ours go wonderfully together?" She exclaimed. I didn't really see how the two related at all, but I went with it. Most of my attention was focused on Daniel. He was oddly quiet, not at all like his usual joking self. He really only said a word when someone asked him a question, but he kept his conversation to a minimum. All the way through desert he remained stoic and detached. I did my best to convince myself it was nothing. He was just having a bad night, he was in a bad mood. A much as I wanted to avoid any problems in our still new relationship, the lump in the pit of my stomach continued to pester me with the truth.

Daniel's dad wanted to talk to him after dinner was over, so their private chauffeur was going to drive me home alone. I thanked the Benoits a hundred times over for their hospitality and told Marjory I'd see her in Cooking on Monday. Surprisingly, she smiled genuinely at me and laughed, telling me to remember a fire extinguisher net time. It took me a second to catch her angle, but then my chest swelled with pride. I had earned the Marjory Benoit seal of approval.

To stall the inevitable argument he would have with his father, Daniel walked me out to the car. He may have been trying to escape a scolding from Mr. Benoit, but that didn't mean he could escape one from me. I turned on him as he opened a door for me, my face riddled with worry. "Is something going on that I need to know about?"

He pretended to be oblivious. "What do you mean?"

He knew I knew him better than that, and it only made me angrier for him to hope I was stupid enough to let his behavior slide. "What do I mean? Something's wrong, I know there is. Is it your father? I know you two don't get along, but please try to find some common ground."

"It's not my father. I mean, it is, but it's not just that." I could see the sincerity in his eyes, but his refusal to tell me what was wrong just made me more determined.

"Then what is it? Can't you tell me?" I saw a curtain in one of the windows shift out of the corner of my eye. His family was watching us, I knew it, and I'm sure he did too. I was about to say something else when I felt Daniel's strong hand on the back of my neck. Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. Another first: our first kiss.

I didn't feel the fireworks or the electricity people were supposed to feel when they kissed someone special. The first feeling that clicked in my mind was shock, which quickly turned into confusion. The kiss wasn't at all romantic or sweet, it wasn't even gentle. It was rough and possessive, like Daniel was trying to prove something. That wasn't at all what our first kiss was supposed to be like. That wasn't what _any_ of our kisses were supposed to be like. The final feeling I felt was anger, and I forced Daniel away from me.

He kept a well practiced poker face as I got in the car and slammed the door, I'll give him that. But beneath it all I hoped he was ashamed. I hoped he was feeling more rotten than he ever had in his life. I hoped he was feeling as sick as I did. A small bit of bile rose in my throat as I realized why I had been so angry with him.

That was how Robby used to kiss me. There was no emotion in any of his kisses, only the need for physical contact. Our entire relationship had been purely physical, just a blissful teenage fling that died out once the thrill was gone. I berated myself for being so stupid and letting myself believe that Daniel would be different.

Street lamp after street lamp lit up my face for a split second then was gone. Each one told me I was a little closer to home where I could go up to my room and let my tears fall without fear of someone seeing me. Street lamp after street lamp told me of my hardship, bringing a little light into my eyes as they came up next to my window, only to dash behind me and take their golden glow with them. Like my stupid boyfriends.

I tiptoed inside, careful not to make any noise as I passed Aunt Charlotte's study. She was too preoccupied to notice me. All day she'd been busy tearing apart the desk and shelves trying to find the letter from Maldonia that she lost. I made it to my room in record time and flung myself onto my bed, where I used my pillow to muffle my screams as I poured all of my frustration and hot tears into its silky surface.

The next morning, my senses were back in order and I could think properly about my situation. It didn't take long for me to realize that I really didn't want to end things with Daniel, but that was just my heart talking, and my heart had been broken for a long time. No way was it working right. My brain, however, was in proper working order. Unfortunately, it was telling me to give Daniel another chance, too, and I wasn't really going for that.

Then I started thinking about the previous night a bit more. Maybe I had been a little rash in taking off like that. Perhaps I should talk to him and apologize. _He should be apologizing to you_, a voice in the back of my head told me. All the more reason to talk to him, I thought. And yet, somehow, I couldn't work up the nerve to go look for him.

So I sulked instead. For that entire week I moped and moved around like a dead person. My friends knew the signs; I acted the same way after I dumped Robby. They tried to get me to tell them what was wrong, but their attempts were fruitless. Even Marjory knew something was up. I was positive Daniel told her something, but if he had then Marjory seemed to be on my side from the way she treated me in class. As much as I hated to think about it, I couldn't help but acknowledge how nice it would be to have her as a sister-in-law.

Aunt Lotte most definitely knew something was up, but I didn't care. Honestly, I was thankful when she finally confronted me in my room about my behavior. Someone needed to give me a reason to snap out of it.

It was mid-day on a Saturday. I'd only been outside of my room for a few moments to grab a glass of juice then shut myself back up in my 'cave,' as Charlotte so endearingly called it. The door had been locked, but she had a master key to the house, and before I could object she was suddenly there leaning against the doorknob so I couldn't make a quick getaway.

"Alright, little miss Eva. You're trapped." If I didn't know how harmless Aunt Lotte actually was, I would have been scared to death. She looked absolutely murderous, but the effect was lost when she got caught up in the moment trying to make the whole scene like a real interrogation. She turned off the lights in my room, yanked the curtains closed, then grabbed a lamp off my bedside table and held in near my face. "Talk!"

I didn't talk. I laughed. I laughed harder than I had in days. Aunt Charlotte blinked, unable to see what was so funny. Then she seemed to catch onto why I was nearly falling to the floor and tried to keep her pride, making it seem like she meant to be comical. "There, I did it. You're…laughing. Yeah, that's what I wanted. Good, now that you're all happy-ish, let's get this over with." She switched the lights back on and took a lighter approach. "What's the matter sweat pea? All week you've been sadder than a weepin' willow and I just can't figure out why." She gasped dramatically and put a hand to her mouth. "Did Daniel do something'? If he did something' I swear I'll rip him to shreds then sew him back together and rip him to shreds again!"

"Well, it is about him I guess -,"

"Aha! I knew it. Where's that big knife that the chef uses to chop the heads off of fish?"

She looked terrifyingly serious, and I forced her back into a sitting position on my bed as she began to stomp to the door. "Can you not murder him, please?" I asked her as nicely as I could. She sighed and mumbled fine, letting me explain. "When I went to his parents house, he just got all moody. I think he was fighting with his dad. And then when he walked me out to the car, he kept denying anything was wrong and out of know where just kissed me and -,"

Aunt Lotte squealed, her expression delighted with the tid-bit of gossip. "He kissed you! Aw how cute!"

"No!" I objected quickly. "It wasn't cute at all. It wasn't sweet or loving, it was…oh I don't know. Angry, I guess. And…I got scared and left without even saying goodbye." I expected her to scold me for running off like that, but her eyes instead held only sympathy.

"Serves him right." She stated simply.

Looking at her quizzically, I questioned, "You mean you're not mad? I didn't even give him a chance to talk or anything."

"He ruined you two's first kiss. The first kiss is the most crucial point in a relationship. It determines _everything._" She thought for a second, a little color floating into her cheeks as she blushed. "Well, maybe it's not _the_ most important thing. But still."

Okay, she wasn't really helping at all. I loved Aunt Charlotte, really I did, but it didn't seem practical to base the likelihood of a relationship's revival on one tiny moment. "Should I at least try and talk to him? You know, to apologize and find out what's going on?"

Charlotte looked doubtful about why I wanted to talk to him in the first place, but she advised me anyhow. "I suppose so, if you _really_ want to. I sure wouldn't but I guess you might." Realization dawned on her face, her eyebrows shooting upward and disappearing in her bangs. "On second thought, yes! Yes, yes, yes, _please_ make up with him. Goodness if you don't the masquerade will be the most awkward party ever! Especially with the Benoit's bein' kind enough to make it your birthday celebration, and all."

I groaned and laid myself out on my bed, taking a nearby pillow and plopping onto my face. "You think I haven't thought about that?"

"What?" Aunt Lotte probably couldn't hear me through the pillow, so I shoved it off and repeated myself, though much more irately.

"You think I haven't thought about that!?" It came out as more of a shriek than I'd intended, and my subsequent grunt more then voiced my frustration. From the moment I'd woken up that morning the masquerade had been on my mind. What was it I had said after our first date?

"_Then I guess no matter what I'll probably be spending my birthday with you."_ Never before had I ever hated my own words so much. Stupid truth.

The ball was only a few days away. If I talked to him before then maybe I could relieve myself of the awkward situation I would be in if I waited. Aunt Lotte took the words out of my mouth, "Just go tell him how you feel, Eva. I will _not _have you skipping out on this ball, understand."

It took a moment for me to realize why she was so stern about making me go. "Oh! You're friends are coming. I forgot."

"Yes. My friends are coming." She softened. "I just don't want you missing this, regardless of me knowing royalty. Who knows," She giggled giddily. I failed to see what was so dang funny, "maybe that night will change your whole life."

"Hah." I said dryly. Change my life? Yeah, sure. I didn't see the likelihood of one night changing my perpetually ordinary existence, but if Charlotte wanted to think it could then I had no right to kick her out of her own fantasy land.

I took her advice anyway, and planned on attending. It was, after all, to be a celebration in my honor, and eighteen was an important age to reach. It would hardly be appropriate to be absent from my own party. Plus, I already had a nonrefundable costume.

But there was still, however, the dilemma regarding Daniel. On Monday I worked up the courage to ask Marjory to tell her brother to meet me at Tiana's Palace after school let out.

"He can't." She said automatically, her tone mysteriously pleasant as she gathered up her books.

Taken aback, I slammed my own pile of books on the table. "You haven't even asked him yet!"

Without changing her expression, she clarified. "He's out of town, just left yesterday. He'll be gone until Wednesday. If you'd asked for him sooner you might have caught him."

"Out of town? What do you mean out of town? Where did he go?"

"Sorry, Evangeline. I like you and all, but Daniel's my brother, and I'm under strict instructions not to tell you. See you tomorrow!" And with that, she left, cheerily whistling to herself as the buzzing activity of high school life hid her from view.

Meanwhile, my blood boiled with anger and distress. What was I supposed to do now? Aunt Charlotte was counting on me to go to that ball, but _I _hadn't counting on confronting Daniel in the same day! He didn't want Marjory to tell me where he could possibly have gone for the rest of the week…

…Because he didn't want me to follow him.

That was it. He wanted to get away from me, he didn't want me trailing him like some lost puppy. Well, I was _no _lost puppy. If Daniel didn't want me, then fine. I didn't need him.

My mood sank with sickening force as I remembered it was my fault. He had kissed me. A kiss meant he wanted to continue the relationship, whether it was romantic or not. I walked out on him, so he walked out on me.

Deep down, I knew I still had the responsibility to set things straight no matter how much I wanted to pretend the whole thing never happened. With a new dread clenching at my insides, I was forced to await my birthday with an emotional strength I didn't know I had.

It seemed Aunt Charlotte was right. That day might very well change my life. _Hopefully_, I thought desperately, _it will be for the better._

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**I think you all can guess what's on it's way next chapter! Hopefully I'll have it up in less time than it took this one.**

**P.S. Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yes, yes, I know. I made you all wait two weeks. And I feel bad, really I do, so I made this chapter one of my longer ones. Well, longer than the last few have been at least. I kind connected with Evangeline in this chapter. We both had birthdays on holidays! Mine was on Easter this year, and it does get wierd to have people coming up to you and saying, "Happy Easter! Oh it's your birthday? Yeah, that too."**

**Loving my Chapter 10 reviewers: Chocolate Tunda, Mrs. Naara, lizziemagic, queenVEExo, x-Taiiwo-x, Carlint, allenterrill, maramouse, and Converse r life! This story is nothing without you all.**

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"Now, Miss Evangeline, hold still. Stop fiddling with those diamonds or I'm gonna chop your hand off!" My hand flew from the bejeweled halter top of my dress back into my lap before Evelyn could slap at it again. The good-humored maid/appearance-related-miracle-worker had been playfully scolding me for the past hour as she helped me into my costume and dealt with my unruly hair. Most of the time was spent coaxing my dark locks into gentle curls, but I think we only succeeded in lessening some of the frizz and intensifying some of the natural curl. It was mutually decided to pin some of my hair back with a diamond barrette and leave the rest down, to give it sort of an angelic look, to match my costume.

I had purposefully chosen one of the simplest ideas I could think of, one that wouldn't require inhuman amounts of makeup or accessories. I was going as a Greek goddess. Not a specific goddess, that got complicated, but just the general idea of what a goddess might look like. All I needed was a dress and sandals, both of which were easily found. Nana tailored my dress of course, like she always did. From the diamond halter collar (not my decision, blame Ruth and Nana), the dress was airy and form fitting at the same time. It around my chest and fell down like a ribbon or sash from where it met the diamonds. The color was definitely much needed for some extra happiness.

"Sorry, Evelyn." I replied sheepishly, but she only smiled. I was free of scolding or lectures for the day (mostly). That came with the birthday rule of immunity. Sadly, that rule didn't cover Aunt Charlotte. Instead of getting to sleep in like I'd hoped, I was woken up bright and early by my dear godmother as she drowned my bed in balloons. The next thing I knew, a waffle with a birthday candle was shoved in my face and box after brightly wrapped box was stacked around me.

The gifts were average, about like every year. Mostly stylish clothing or the occasional book I could curl up with in the garden once the weather turned warmer. Aunt Lotte seemed to have been in a dressy mood when she went shopping. Almost all of the new clothes were dresses both casual and fancy. Some looked like they belonged in a real castle rather than the un-proclaimed queen of New Orleans's homey mansion. Then there were shoes and accessories to match each one. It had taken far longer than it should have to re-organize my closet to fit it all.

"There you are. All finished." Evelyn topped her work off with a cloud of hairspray that had me chocking with every breath I took. "Were these the shoes you wanted?"

I nodded my head when she held up the sandals with the brown leather straps cross crossing over the empty space my foot would soon occupy. Taking them from her, I bent down and slipped my feet into their respective shoes just as Aunt Lotte knocked on my door. "Come in." I said, stretching out my leg to admire the footwear.

Aunt Lotte entered with shockingly minimal difficulty. For a moment I thought she hadn't changed yet, but then I looked closer at what she was wearing. It was a revealing strapless number, shimmering with blue and green glitter and hugging her tight until it reached her knees, where it fanned out like a fin. Her hair was nothing more than a mass of curls kept in place by a seashell pin.

"Well this is…," I searched for a word. "Different for you, Aunt Lotte. Usually your dresses have a diameter of at least 8 feet."

She giggled, patting her hair to make sure none of it had fallen over. "I thought I should be something' other than a queen this year, to mix it up, you know. So I thought bein' a mermaid was the next best thing."

"I'm sure everyone will be thrown for a loop." It was all I could think to say.

"I sure hope so. Now c'mon birthday girl! You don't want to keep everyone waiting."

I didn't bother to point out it wasn't even our ball. It could start without us.

The one thing I missed about the size Aunt Lotte's queen outfits was her ability to walk in them. It took us double the time it should have to get down all the flights of stairs because the tight skirt wouldn't adjust to the basic needs of human mobility. Aunt Charlotte's knees were restricted from bending more than slightly, so she shuffled along rather awkwardly to the car. Before we even reached the porch she had had enough.

"To heck with this!" She screamed shrilly, and cut through the shining fabric so that there were two very long and revealing slits beside each leg. The scary thing: She did it with her fingernail.

Needless to say, I sat as far away from her as possible in the limousine, chewing on my bottom lip as I counted the blocks to the Benoit's home. My stomach had been churning all day, and I was starting to wonder if my organs were running a carnival in my chest cavity. Images of Daniel were racing through my head constantly. I couldn't escape from those green eyes or that charming smile no matter where I turned.

I could hear the party before we got there. The band the Benoit's hired to play for the night were louder than any freight train, even from the secluded back yard. The heavy bead pounded at my skull as we pulled up, and combined with my racing heart I feared I would collapse. Luckily, the car roof was very conveniently placed so I could use it to steady myself. Taking deep breaths, I focused on placing one precariously heeled foot in front of the other. I followed Aunt Lotte through the front door. Good, I'd made it that far. My pace quickened. It was a straight shot out the opposite end of the foyer. I could see the arrived guests milling about under the glow of the multi-colored lights on the outside patio. Just a few more steps and I was there, where I could have a little fun and celebrate my staying alive for eighteen years.

I was so happy when the door to the party was only one foot away. _I was almost there_.

Until someone harshly grabbed my arm and yanked me into a hallway.

I cried out in surprise, but the small noise was cut short when my captor twirled me around to face them. For a second, I didn't know who I was looking at - the hallway was dark and untouched by moonlight - but I relaxed when I found it was a familiar face.

"Marjory, what are you doing?" I questioned my classmate, who rolled her eyes at my tone. She removed her cowgirl hat - I mentally noted the brilliance of her costume - and I could just barely make out her less than amused expression.

"Calm down, birthday girl." She drawled, tugging me deeper into the shadows as another couple of guests passed through the door to the patio. "Listen, I know this ball is supposed to be for you and all, but Daniel told me to come get you. He wants to talk." I crossed my arms. So His Almighty Elusive-ness was back in town, and now _he _wanted to talk? What an interesting turn of events

"Do you always do whatever your brother tells you to?"

Marjory snorted, as if recalling some private joke. "He's my big brother. He's got some sort of seniority thing over me. Or at least he thinks so. Truth is, I love the twit." I smiled, but about 70% of the reason was the fact that she used the word 'twit.' Taking my wrist, Marjory led me through the hallway, expertly navigating her way up two flights of stairs while a tripped and stumbled behind her. After what seemed like ages, we arrived at large double doors.

"It's the library," explained Marjory. "Dan's here. Good luck." The last part was added sarcastically, but I'd gotten to know my cooking partner well enough to know she had a very dry sense of humor. Sometimes it got hard to figure out if she liked me or didn't, but after a while I figured we were slowly building up a lukewarm friendship. I took a nervous breath in and rapped my knuckled against the door.

"Oh, and Evangeline!" Marjory said just before she was out of sight. Unable to find my voice, I just looked at her expectantly. She grinned mischievously. "Happy…Mardi Gras."

"Oh, come on!" I yelled after her, though I couldn't help laughing at her little quip. Couldn't be wished a happy birthday, oh no, but Fat Tuesday was a big enough celebration to get well wishes for. I was still giggling to myself when I turned back to the library entrance, my eyes met with endless shelves of books. It took a moment, but I did eventually notice the absence of one minor detail: the door. And in its place was a very somber looking Daniel Benoit.

My breath hitched when our eyes met. Those green eyes of his that had been invading my dreams each night had me transfixed with every emotion possible: relief, anger…fear. In one fluid motioned he pulled me into the room, shut the door, than whipped around so I was suddenly staring at his back. I almost forgot he was even Daniel. He was wearing a patchwork shirt, dirty work pants, and heavy boots, articles of clothing I almost never saw him in. A ratty hat sat atop his disheveled hair, and I was confused to see bits of straw poking out from the collar and various tears of his shirt. Then it clicked.

And so the first words I said to my boyfriend in over a week were, "Are you supposed to be a scarecrow?" To any outside eye, I got the feeling we'd be considered a pretty odd couple.

He didn't turn around, but had the courtesy to answer my question. "Ever read _The Wizard of Oz_?"

I nodded slowly. "When I was a kid, yeah. So you're _that_ scarecrow." He swiped his hat from his head and ran a hand through his hair, gradually switching his position to finally face me. The lack of emotion in his expression was unsettling.

"Yeah."

I heard a clock ticking from somewhere further into the room, somewhere behind the shelves stocked full of knowledge and truth. Cynically, I reminded myself that not one of the hundreds of texts would be able to give me the answers I needed.

Tick, Tick, Tick.

Many clock ticks later, I opened my mouth at last with yet another question. "Where did you go, huh? I tried to find you to apologize. I shouldn't have run off like that, but…well, you had no right to kiss me just to prove something to your parents…or yourself for that matter. So I think you owe me an explanation."

I waited, but he didn't say anything. I felt a little sorry for him. He looked nervous and had shoved his hands deep into his pockets, shuffling his feet along the carpet. Trying to stall wasn't helping his situation in the least bit. "I got a draft letter." By the time the words left his mouth, I had nearly dozed off from waiting, and missed everything he said but the last word.

"What?"

"I got drafted, Evangeline. The letter came a couple weeks ago. I…wanted to wait for the right time to tell you."

I froze. There was no way…I mean, yes, of course there was a way, I just hadn't thought it would ever come to this. I knew he was eligible for the draft but…ever since we had started dating the war had been so far from my mind. It was always someone else's guy that got drafted or…killed. I didn't think it would _actually_ happen to him. Blinking away the tears that started to burn at my eyes, I did my best to keep a strong façade. "What are you going to do? Is that where you went? To go sign up?" I chose each word carefully, speaking slowly as my mind tried to comprehend what it was being told. Daniel - _my Daniel -_ was being called to war.

Daniel looked at me from where he stood a few feet away with such and intense gaze that I had trouble keeping eye contact. "Angel -,"

"Don't do that!" I backed up quickly, putting my hand on a desk to support myself. "Don't start using pet names to get me to melt in your arms and do whatever you say. That was what Robby did, and you've been acting a lot like him lately." He winced, and I felt a twisted sort of pleasure knowing I'd finally hit a nerve.

"Evangeline," he continued, and I instantly felt a little guilty. I knew he didn't want to act like Robby, and it hurt him to hear me compare the two. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, but you-,"

"What?" I snapped. Those stupid tears were close to falling, and I didn't fancy having mascara running down my cheeks for the rest of the night. "Am I doing something wrong by wanting you to stay here?"

"No-,"

"Then what? What's stopping you from running off to get blown up? I'm certainly not. How could I? You said it yourself, you have nothing keeping you here, no reason to stick around." He knew I'd caught him. He had in fact uttered those very words the first night we collided on the sidewalk and he asked me out. _We've come full circle_, I noted with mock sentimentality.

"Evangeline, please just let me explain." I wasn't listening. My back was to him now, and I was stomping angrily to the door. I wouldn't let him see me cry. No way. "When I left town I was -," I slammed the door and heard nothing else.

Though it was dark, I vaguely remembered the way Marjory and I had come, and I hesitantly retraced my steps down several flights of stairs. I had to stop every once in a while to wipe the salt water from my cheeks, and prayed that I didn't look like a raccoon.

"Of all things to pray about!" I muttered to myself.

"Eva?" A familiar voice echoed through the hall. "Evangeline are you there?"

"Virginia?" I croaked into the shadows. It was her, bustling down the hallway through the occasional squares of blue light from moon shining through the windows. Seeing my sad state, she pulled out a fresh handkerchief and wiped away at my eyes.

"What happened? Your Aunt's going crazy looking for you, and everyone wants to wish you a happy birthday." She dabbed at the skin around my eyes, and I grimaced when I saw the white fabric streaked with black.

"It's nothing. Just some boyfriend drama."

Virginia maternally wrapped me in a hug and I was reminded of why she was one of my best friends. "I heard about Daniel getting drafted. I'm so sorry Eva, that must be so hard for you. I know how much you like him." I gave her a weak smile, and she intuitively knew that I needed a bit more help then that. "When my dad was shipped out, I cried for weeks, but everything turned out just fine."

I sighed and let my heart return to it's normal pace. "I wish I didn't like him so much. Then it might be easier to let him go."

"Is that what you want to do?" She asked me, concern lacing her voice.

"I have to!" I exclaimed. "Our relationship…I just can't figure it out. It's too confusing, and I have no clue how he feels, ever. I just…I don't want to get hurt again."

Giving me another comforting hug, Virginia changed the subject. "Just do whatever you think is best, and I'm sure everything will turn out for the best. Now c'mon. There's a great party outside and I don't want you to miss it!" We hurried as fast as we could through the corridor and made it to the patio in record time. My face was red from the effort and crying, but I passed it off as a severe case of blushing when I stepped outside and was met with a loud chorus of:

"Happy Birthday!" My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I took in the scene. Of course the Benoit's had strung up their usual Mardi Gras decorations, but they had also been kind enough to hang a large banner that read in bold letters 'HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY EVANGELINE.' I'm positive they knew of my current disagreement with their son, which made it even more touching that they still cared about me enough to do all that. There was a chill in the crisp, February air, but the amount of body heat from the countless masked party-goers quickly removed that discomfort as I descended into the masses.

My punishment for disappearing was near death by choking, oh so lovingly administered by a very frantic Aunt Lotte. I spared her the details of why I was gone and just told her that Marjory had wanted a word with me, and it took longer than we expected. There was no reason to ruin her happy night.

"Happy Birthday, Evangeline." I heard an elderly voice behind me as I walked with Aunt Lotte to the side of the patio. She had me in a vice grip actually, and was practically hauling me. The most I could gather from her fast speech was that her friends had already arrived, and I killed her plans by missing their entrance.

Spinning around, my face lit up with joy as I shouted, "Nana! You came!" I felt like I was five instead of eighteen as I tackled my surrogate grandmother in a bear hug.

"Of course I did. I couldn't miss my baby girl's eighteenth birthday, could I?" Nana laughed over my shoulder as we embraced. When we pulled back I looked at her carefully. She seemed so much happier than usual, and I knew my birthday wasn't the only thing on her mind. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement I didn't know old people ever experienced. Being old always sounded boring to me, but Nana was proving me wrong.

That was when I noticed the two figures awkwardly standing just behind Nana, both dressed in very regal clothing. For a second I thought they were a couple jointly costumed as a king and queen, but Nana looked at them and grinned like I hadn't seen her grin in years. I furrowed my brow, frustrated that I didn't recognize either of them. The man was strongly built, with broad shoulder and a strong jaw line, but his eyes held a childlike playfulness that matched his relaxed brown curls. The woman bore a startling resemblance to Nana, but with a younger face and slightly altered features. I frowned, unable to understand the expressions on their faces. They looked…hopeful? That was a good word, I supposed. Euphoric worked even better. What bothered me was, well, _I _seemed to be what they were euphoric about.

"Evangeline," I felt Aunt Lotte put her hands on my shoulders as her head leaned next to mine. "This is the King Naveen and Queen Tiana of Maldonia, my dearest friends." I smiled politely at them, like I was taught to do as a child.

"It's very nice to meet you, Your Majesties." I stumbled through my greeting, not sure if I was supposed to address them that way or not. Adressing them as anything felt wierd actually. I couldn't put my finger on it, but soemthing about them was so familiar? Had I seen them somewhere? No, of course not. Charlotte said they'd only ever seen me as a baby. But I know I'd heard those names before.

"It's wonderful to see you as well, Evangeline. We've heard so much about you." The King said kindly, though his and Queen's smiles faltered for a moment. I was too busy thinking to pay much attention. Queen Tiana…

"Is your name like Tiana's Palace?" I asked, slightly embarrassed for questioning royalty.

The Queen, though, gave me a warm smile. I decided I liked her. She must have been one of those unconditionally loving people, even to those she only just met. But Nana was the one who actually answered me. "Yes, Evangeline." She told me. "Tiana and Naveen opened the restaurant after they got married."

Goody. More confusion. "Wait…I thought your daughter opened the restaurant?" Nana nodded at me, still beaming. "So…this is your daughter."

"Yes, sugar." I looked at the Queen with a new awe, amazed by the fact that I was standing not four feet from the woman who created some of the best recipes New Orleans had ever seen.

"How come you never told me?" I looked from Charlotte to Nana, trying to decipher the less than open behavior they both exhibited. Why was no one giving me straight answers?

"Things like that…have to be shared at just the right time." Nana finally supplied. I huffed, still unsatisfied. Across from me, Tiana and Naveen shared a quick glance.

"We hope you have a very happy birthday, Evangeline." Tiana said, but I got the impression that the customary phrase had some other meaning to it, like she wanted to say so much more than just that. Naveen looked like he was about to spew all sorts of conversation at any second, but we were interrupted when I heard someone yell for me from across the dance floor.

"Eva! You get your pretty little butt over here so I can wish you a happy birthday!" It was unmistakably Mary. Hot faced and embarrassed, I sheepishly looked back at Aunt Lotte, Nana, and the Maldonian rulers.

"Go ahead, baby girl." Nana encouraged me. "Have fun with your friends. I'm sure that we can have a nice, long, _in depth_ conversation with Tiana and Naveen back at home when the ball's over and we're together, just the family." I looked at her quizzically, and was about to comment on her babbling, but she pushed me along into the crowd to go find Mary. I shrugged and continued on my way, happy to have a chance to have some fun and forget the stressful events that had occurred earlier.

_**3**__**rd**__** person POV**_

"Why must we wait?" Naveen whined as he watched the retreating form of his daughter, all grown up and more perfect than he'd ever imagined. Charlotte had been right, she did look like him, and it made him more proud than any grand accomplishment ever had. "Ow!" He hissed when Charlotte hit him upside the head.

"She's having boyfriend troubles, so hush and let her enjoy the night before we drop the bomb that changes her life forever, alright?" She scowled at the King, the parental instinct she'd picked up over the years kicking in.

"Boyfriend?" Naveen immediately disregarded everything else Charlotte had said and focused his one track mind on that single word. "She can't have a boyfriend. Why does my daughter have a boyfriend? She is not thirty yet!"

"This is her second actually." Charlotte chirped, mostly to see the panic on her old friend's face as his eyes widened and his breathing became labored. Even Eudora was chuckling to herself.

"A boyfriend," mused Tiana whistfully. "We've missed so much. Did you see how tall she was? She's my height!"

Naveen studied his wife thoughtfully, then shrugged. "You are not that tall. Ow! When did Mardi Gras become Let's All Abuse Naveen Day?"

The women ignored him, and Tiana turned to Charlotte. "She really is beautiful, Lotte. You've done a fantastic job with her. She's so grown up."

Charlotte beamed, glowing with pride. "I know! Wait 'till you're around her more, you'll love her."

Tiana and Naveen returned the grin, clasping each other's hands tightly to restrain their excitement. "We already do." Tiana said. "I just hope telling her the truth will go well. It'll be such a shock."

"She's a strong girl, it'll all be fine." Eudora assured her daughter like any mother would. "I'm not saying it'll be easy, but things will work out in the end."

And the peaceful night was shattered with the sound of a bloodcurdling scream.

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**Yes, another mean cliffhanger. Perhaps you can express your feelings about it in a review...yes, a review would be incredibly nice. Think you could help me surpass 100 before Chapter 12?**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm back! And considering it's before midnight, I'm a day early. I wanted to update a whole week early, really I did, but then both my english and history teachers decided they wanted to assign monster essays. Yippee. Anyway, hope you're all not too angry at me for that cliffhanger last chapter. It was mean, yes, but every story needs at least one horrid cliffy. Unfortunately, now that this chapter is out, this story has two. **

**Now, my amazing reviewers! You all broke a record with the last chapter! My goodness, I asked to break one hundred and you all got Star Bright to over 130! Thanks a ton to the Chapter 11 reviewers (yes, even those of you who said you hated me...I was strangly tickled whenever I was damned): SierraKate390, Girrrrrr, lizziemagic, allenterrill, Whiteling, kt2209, Mrs. Naara, peaceloveandthedove, x-Taiiwo-x, maramouse, Chocolate Tunda, KiKiKat98, rachiixox, charliepaceluver117, ZukosGirl91014, HeartzandLazerBeamGirl, Vampiress-Hannah-Tsukiyomi, Hermioneroxx77, the one who breathes nitrogen, Carlint, ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp, haruko sohma, RedCloakedMaiden, Sesshy's Mate2012, VCarter21, Kiki, and superawesome. A note to superawesome - little sis, if you review for the sake of reviewing, try reading the story first. Anyone else out there the older sibling? Tough, huh?**

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I shoved through the crowd roughly, using the physical contact as a way to release all my pent-up frustration. Disregarding common courtesy, my shoulders did some damage on the poor souls whose arms I came in contact with. I wondered how in the world I was supposed to find Mary in such a mess of color and masks.

My thoughts drifted to the couple I had just met. They were perfectly nice, and seemed like fine people. Still, it was hard to imagine them being such good friends with Aunt Lotte. She said she and Queen Tiana had been like sister's since they were little, but the two of them were like night and day, and it was unusual for two races to mix like that, especially in their time. I glanced down to my own skin warily, the darkness of color very obvious among the pale nobility around me. I got off easy, being the adoptive daughter of such an influential white woman. My status let me do all the things the law said I couldn't. Otherwise, I be riding on the back of the bus, just like everyone else who looked like me.

My shoulder caught another arm, and I was prepared to press on like nothing had happened, but a hand grabbed me and pulled me back. I was about to give a hasty apology in hopes for a quicker getaway, but my mouth never formed the words once I got a look at who I'd collided with.

At first, I couldn't identify the man at all. I was a bit too focused on the sinister mask he was wearing, a white one that resembled a human skull, with pointed teeth that curled over his lip. Taking in the featured I could see - his chin, eyes and nose - it became easier to recognize bits and pieces of the puzzle. His height, the skin, the lanky limbs - it was all very familiar. I couldn't help but shudder as he watched me from under the mask's synthetic brows, his expression haunting, yet blank. Suddenly, his head jerked up to his gaze was directed to the façade of the grand mansion. Instinctively, I looked too, just as a great crash echoed through the yard. One of the upstairs windows had shattered, leaving a black empty space where the glass had once been and where the curtains blew outside and snapped against the brick wall. A large object careened out onto the patio, and a woman near me shrieked as it landed just in front of her.

A book? My eyes darted from the book, lying with its cover splayed like wings, to the window. It was the library! The room with the window was the library I had spoken to Daniel in!

_Daniel_. Was he alright? I made a move to dart inside and check for him, but the skull-masked man gripped my shoulder tighter, and whisked me away from the gasping crowd. I cried out, quite loudly, in fact, as we jumped the railing of the patio and landed in the grass below. Soon we were in the trees of the Benoit's back yard, so far away from the party that she collective yells of the startled guests were hardly a whisper.

"Hey! Help!" I screamed out, but I knew no one would hear me. The man paid me no mind as I voiced my protest to the apparent kidnapping, and kept dragging me onward. I thanked God profusely for my decision to wear sandals instead of heels. Every now and then, my captor yanked me a bit too roughly and I screamed again, or he purposefully let my feet hit a root so I stumbled and cursed. It was almost like he wanted me to be as angry as possible.

But no amount of noise I'd previously made compared to the piercing cry that erupted from my throat as my feet lost all contact with the ground. Before long I was gasping for air, on the brink of a panic attack. Looking down, my eyes widened at the sight of the large shadow that swallowed the land below in its great tattered wings. I looked up, but no such beast was there. I was helpless, and felt like a child. There was nothing I could do to save myself as the skull man and I flew over the city, bright and pulsing with the sights and sounds of Mardi Gras. Far below I could make out the parade, slowly progressing through the streets surrounded in a storm of confetti and jazz.

I held tightly onto the skirt of my dress as we started to lose altitude. The wind was blowing it in all sorts of directions, and, well, I didn't fancy that strange man seeing more of me than I was comfortable with. Stupid airy fabric. When we finally touched down (actually, I fell down. I'm talking lying-flat-out down. The ground had never felt so dang good), it was in the dark alley that I'd become so used to seeing, the one that led straight to the lair of the infamous voodoo man.

"Dr. Facilier?" I squeaked when I found my voice. A smile curled on the man's face, and he reached his long fingers up to peel the skull from his wrinkling skin. It was most definitely him. Without the mask he resumed the charismatic, good-intentional demeanor he always had, and I felt a little better knowing I hadn't been taken hostage by some random hit-man.

"Little princess!" Dr. Facilier crooned, putting his hand on my back as he led me like and old friend into the old warehouse. The fragrance of incense and spices flooded my nose and made all my other senses numb. It was so calming. "I am terribly sorry about all that, the running and flying and what not. Truly not my intention to frighten you, I assure you." He sat me down at the table he had read our fortunes on the first time my friends and I encountered him and placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me. I placed my ice cold hands around the porcelain handle and let the heat warm my fingers.

"I understand." I said, surprised at myself for acting so normal. Was I supposed to be acting so normal? I couldn't tell. My brain was going fuzzy. I placed my well-being gladly in Facilier's hands. So far he had guided me well, and given me information I would have never gotten from even my own family. I had every reason to trust him. "But why did you bring me here? The party was for me, after all. They'll surely notice I'm gone if I don't get back soon." And Charlotte will kill me, I added in my head.

"Not to worry, not to worry." declared Facilier as he removed his hat from his head and twirled it around in his hands. "All is well, my friend. But… there is one thing I feel you must know." He leaned over the table, a solemn look taking over his eyes. I clutched my teacup tighter. "You have to be warned. Your parents, the parents who abandoned you so they could live their own lives, are back."

"What? They're here?" I gasped, the blood draining from my face. "Why?"

Dr. Facilier pulled a deck of cards from thin air, and held the top one up for me to see. This card, like the others, portrayed a cartoon-like scene, but was even more peculiar. As Facilier slid it upwards through his hands, it stretched into more and more pictures, like a movie reel. The first picture showed two tall, dark figures with a smaller vulnerable girl in their claw-like hands. Then they forced her onto a boat and took her across the sea, and all the while she was reaching back to where she came from, trying to get away. The figure was me, I realized with ease. And the two figures were my parents, obviously. I was reaching back to New Orleans, and Aunt Lotte and Nana were on their knees crying for me to come back.

"They want to take me back with them, don't they." I whispered, afraid of the truth. No way was I going anywhere with them. My home was New Orleans. My life was New Orleans. I was a New Orleans girl, born and bred. Figuratively, at least. Dr. Facilier nodded, placing the card back on the deck. I looked at him, my eyes not failing to show my gratitude. "Thank you for telling me. But…why do you care that I know?"

Facilier put a hand on his heart, and I felt instantly bad for offending him. "Little princess," he insisted, "I couldn't bear to watch such a nice girl like you get hurt! It would pain my poor old heart." Something, somewhere further into the old building creaked, the sound bouncing eerily off the spacious walls. A shiver trailed up my spine, but I shrugged it off and smiled at my companion anyway.

Inhaling the steam rising from my tea, I graciously said, "I appreciate it, Dr. Facilier. I promise, no matter what, I won't listen to a word my so-called-parents say." My expression darkened. "I'll give them something to be really sorry about."

"Yes," The voodoo man chuckled, and I could tell there was a hidden meaning behind his voice, "revenge _is_ sweet, isn't it?"

"As sugar." I replied, the idea warming up to me.

There was a pregnant pause, and Facilier's face lit up theatrically. I was too dazed to see past his charade. "That's it!" He yelled.

"What's it?"

"I know the perfect way to deal with your parents." He declared, his hands rubbing together mischievously. "My powers are extensive, little princess, just bring the traitors to me, and you'll never have to worry about them again."

The steam was fogging my vision, great gray wisps dancing in front of my eyes. "Never?" I sighed dreamily. "But what will you do?" Through the mist I saw Dr. Facilier take a quick sip of tea, and lifted my own cup to my lips. I could stay just a bit longer, long enough to finish my drink. I closed my eyes and cherished the warmth of the liquid as it slid down my throat. It was so soothing.

"Don't worry about old Dr. Facilier, he's got it all under control." He lowered his voice so he was talking in a hushed tone. "Now, what I need you to do is get them here. Tonight, as soon as possible. And don't let anyone see you. We wouldn't want to cause anyone any unnecessary worries, would we?"

"Oh, no, of course not."

"They abandoned you." He repeated. "They don't really love you, they're just liars."

"Yes, liars."

"And that boyfriend of yours, he does he really care for you? No! He's just going to run off to war like you never existed. I wouldn't listen to a thing he says, either. When has he ever kept his word?"

Just a little more tea would be wonderful. "Never."

"Trust me, princess, stick with me, and everything will be just fine."

And then all I could see or hear or smell or feel…was the steam.

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I don't know what happened, but it was like I'd been teleported, or time had decided to skip ahead and forgot to tell me. But suddenly I wasn't in the same place anymore. The teacup was gone, and the tarot cards. I wasn't even in the old warehouse anymore, and I felt like I was waking up from a deep sleep. I knew I wasn't. I couldn't have been. The last thing I remembered was being with Dr. Facilier while it was still the early evening. I remembered going to the masquerade, fighting with Daniel, meeting the King and Queen of Maldonia.

I frantically whipped my head around, trying to figure out where in the world I had ended up. To my great relief, I knew the place. The round tables, the chandelier, and small stage were all things I'd grown up with on my many visits to Tiana's Palace.

The question was, why the hell was I there now?

"Evangeline, please! Don't do this!" What? Who was that? I blinked my eyes and a few blurry figures came into focus.

"Huh?" I mumbled. Why was Queen Tiana asking me not to do something? What was I about to do anyway?

"Little princess," A deep voice purred nearby, and I gladly looked over to Dr. Facilier for answers. "Remember, don't listen to her. Remember what she did to you."

"What did she do to me?" I asked him, thoroughly confused by then. I had only just met the queen, and the king for that matter. Both were there, restrained by the invisible monsters whose shadows I could see on the wall behind them. I turned back to the voodoo man, who no longer looked as friendly and warm as I had known him to be. His expression had changed once I uttered the question, his eyes dark and mouth grimacing.

Stealing a sideways glance at his own shadow - dear God, was that thing moving on its own?! - Facilier leaned away from me and straightened his back. "Well this just won't do."

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Review:)


	13. Chapter 13

**No, I'm not abandoning this story, yes, I am indeed alive, no, this isn't the end...Just to answer a few questions right off the bat. I apologize a million times over for my extended absence. School has been absolute murder, and I'm pretty sure all of my teachers got together and said, "How about we wait until the last few weeks of school and _then_ pile on projects in every single subject in addition to all the studying for finals? It'll be hilarious!" Hence my loss of free time. But I assure you, I have returned. My updates from here on out might be sporadic, but that's summer for you!**

**Immense thank yous to the Chapter 12 reviewers: blurb, Hermioneroxx77, Naara, SierraKate390, lizziemagic, Chocolate Tunda, Barbiegirl 22, Sesshy's Mate2012, peaceloveandthedove, Vampiress-Hannah-Tsukiyomi, allenterrill, maramouse, KiNgSxSiStEr4197, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, and ! Hopefully I haven't lost too many of you in the time I've been gone.**

Tiana looked up after the scream to see a shattered window with curtains billowing from in, whipping against the house and ripping on the jagged glass. The crowd of party-goers was in a frenzy, and the Benoits were doing their best to calm their guests by having the band strike up a rather loud, lively tune. But the music did nothing to stop the panic in the Queen's pounding heart. Normally, she would have thought little of the incident. Sure, it was a bit odd, but it wasn't really her problem. Well, at first it wasn't.

However, the dark silhouette she saw slithering down the bricks of the Benoit mansion was very much entwined with her problems. "Cheese and crackers! That looks like the library window." Charlotte observed. She had not noticed the demon shadow, but based on the sudden grip he had on his wife's hand, Naveen had.

Trying to stay calm, cool, and collected, Tiana asked Charlotte urgently, "Where's the library? Do you know the way?"

"Well, why on earth do you want to -,"

"Lord help me, Lotte, you'd better show me the way before I spill punch all over your designer sequins!" Tiana was done with calm. She'd spent nearly eighteen years being calm, and calm was out the window. Metaphorically and literally.

Charlotte yelped in surprise and dashed toward the house, Tiana and Naveen right on her heels. They were moving quickly, but any speed less than that of light would be too slow for Tiana. Unsurprisingly, Charlotte had absolutely no clue where she was actually going. It wasn't her house after all, and Tiana felt foolish for thinking she'd have the layout memorized. The blonde didn't even know her own address until she was nineteen. They made their way blindly through the hallways, taking random turns and opening nearly every door they passed. None were correct.

"Why are we doin' this anyway, Tia?" Charlotte whined.

"I saw something come out that window."

"Yes, I know! We all saw something come out the window. It landed somewhere on the other side of the patio, I think."

Tiana shook her head as she slammed another door shut. "No, it wasn't that. It was a shadow. Some kind of lizard looking thing."

Charlotte stopped her search for the library and let her plump pink lips form a large 'o.' "Oh my goodness. You're kiddin'!"

"I wish we were." Naveen grumbled, leaning against the wall with a scowl on his face. "The minute we get her back all this happens. I thought she was finally safe."

"But Dr. Facilier hasn't been around in years!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Why did he come back now?" Tiana and Naveen looked at her with their eyebrows raised, and she shut up. The answer to her question was pretty obvious. The King and Queen were back in town. They had stupidly made themselves easy targets one they left the protection of the Royal Guard in Maldonia. They pressed on through the house in silence from then on, a greater sense of urgency added to their mission. They finally gave up when it seemed like they had opened a million doors. They started to make their way back down the stairs, when they heard a shout echo from behind them.

"Ms. La Bouff! Hey!" Tiana didn't recognize the voice, and turned around in agitation. There were more important things to do than socialize. She saw a boy running towards them, wearing patchwork clothing and gripping a bloody scrape on his arm.

"Jiminy Cricket, Daniel! What on Earth happened?" Charlotte rushed to his side, despite knowing the pain he had been causing her goddaughter as of late. He hissed as she prodded the injury, though luckily the wound proved be shallow.

Naveen and Tiana observed from afar, both uncomfortably aware that whatever happened to Daniel had something to do with Facilier and his shadow demons. Their eyes gradually grew to the size of saucers as Daniel tried to recall exactly what had happened to him.

"I was in the library," he explained wearily, "trying to figure out what to do about Angel - Evangeline, I mean. We had another fight earlier." Naveen tensed. What this young man was saying made him sound a lot like Evangeline's boyfriend, and the King had been planning to give said boyfriend a mouthful as soon as he met him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tiana shushed him and let Daniel continue.

"And this thing attacked me. I dunno what it was…but somehow I was floating in the air. I tried to fight back but whatever it was wasn't really…," he gesticulated wildly, unsure of how to get his point across, "well, it wasn't actually there, you know? And then it hit me against a bookcase, which fell and broke a window, and the thing left. Then I looked out the window and…God! Have you seen Evangeline?"

"Not since she went off to find Mary, I'm afraid."

"Dammit." Daniel cursed under his breath and ran a hand through his hair in obvious frustration. Pacing from one side of the hallway of the other, he started breathing heavy and finally gave Charlotte a pained glance. "Someone took her. I - I don't know who but I saw some guy taking her out into the woods. I gotta find her." He started to sprint off down the stairs, but Naveen blocked him and held him firm in his place.

"What did he look like?" Naveen growled, his eyes dark and stern, a determined glint in them that Tiana hadn't seen in the years since Facilier had disappeared. Daniel simply stared, wide-eyed and resembling a fish out of water. "I said what did he look like?"

"Uh, um," The younger boy stammered, "He was tall-ish, uh, kinda skinny, too. He was wearing a hat…I think -,"

"It's him." Naveen released Daniel and turned to his wife who hugged him close to herself for comfort.

Tilting her head up against his chest, Tiana whispered, "Are you sure?"

"I dedicated years to searching for him. I'd know a description of him anywhere." None of them wanted to face the truth, but it couldn't be denied that they had fallen right into one of Facilier's traps. Naveen moved quickly and strongly, taking on the persona of a seasoned general, thanks to his experience working with the Maldonian military. He paced the hallways much like Daniel had, contemplating all of the places the voodoo man was likely to be.

Since there was little more they could do, the others watched Naveen hopefully. Daniel, still unaware of who these two people were, bent his head down to Charlotte and questioned lowly, "Um, Ms. La Bouff? What is he talking about?"

Suddenly realizing that the young man was still in the dark about the whole thing, Charlotte took him aside and gently informed him of the King and Queen's identities. "They're Evangeline's birth parents, you see." She finished in a whisper, and took quick note of how Daniel's forehead crinkled in concentration, like the news bothered him.

"Wait…the same parents that Evangeline says abandoned her to run a country in peace?" All four adult heads snapped up and Daniel's question, and four pairs of angry eyes bore into him like fire. He held up his hands to proclaim innocence, particularly frightened by Naveen's muscular form.

"She thinks we abandoned her?" Naveen snarled. "Charlotte, what have you been telling her?"

Charlotte gasped, offended, and put a hand to her heart. "Absolutely nothing! I would never tell her something like that!"

"Well, she got the idea from somewhere!"

"She got it from some fortune teller, Dr. Fortier or something. I told her not to trust him!" Time seemed to stop the moment the last word was out of Daniel's mouth. The tension in the air was so thick, so cold, that it could be cut with the dullest of knives. Nobody moved, and they hardly dared to breath. In the few moments that the earth stilled, Daniel's blood ran cold and he realized just how misleading the witch doctor was.

"Oh my Lord!" Tiana cried and she crumpled into a sorry heap on the floor. Charlotte flew two her side and wrapped comforting arms around her friends. The Queen had finally let her emotions get the best of her, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as she buried her face in her hands. "It can't be! Not after all this time!"

"Shhh, calm down. Be strong for little Eva. You've got to be strong or we'll never find her." Charlotte did her best to soothe Tiana's pain, but they all knew the only way to fully relieve her worries was to solve the problem.

And that was no easy task.

Seconds after Tiana hit the floor, Naveen seized Daniel by his shirt and backed him up against a wall. "What do you know! Where has he taken her!" He yelled. Years before, he may have reacted a bit more sanely to such a crisis, but even the most wild playboys can be changed. King Naveen wasn't at all the easy-going prince he once was.

Daniel sputtered out a weak response, "Who, sir?"

"Dr. Facilier, the Shadow Man! What do you know of him?"

"Um, well," Daniel continued to stutter, still unsure of what he'd been dragged into.

"Oh, let the poor boy go, Naveen, don't scare him any more than he already is." Charlotte scolded Naveen, who reluctantly released Daniel's shirt and let the boy get some air in his lungs.

As he gasped, Daniel collected his thoughts and told the little information he had to the Maldonian rulers. "As far as I know, Evangeline had met with this guy twice, once with me and once around New Years, with her friends. They got their fortunes told and he said something about her birth parents. When she was on a small date with me -," Naveen winced, "she dragged me over to this old warehouse near the shops in town and insisted she talk to this guy. He put her in some sort of weird trance and she was absolutely fuming for the rest of the night. Kept saying she would never forgive her parents for not wanting her."

"And you let her go find this demon?" Naveen accused.

Daniel made stern eye contact with the king, disregarding all rules regarding royal etiquette. "Well, pardon me, your majesty, but have you met your daughter? She's stubborn as a mule."

"Wonder where she got that." Charlotte quipped under her breath, and Tiana and Naveen both shot her glares.

Choosing to stay out of the 'family feud,' Daniel hurried the conversation along, hoping to find Evangeline before it's too late. "Our car's right out front. I bet I could find the warehouse Dr. - what was it? Facilier - lives in." And as fast as they could, the search party marched back to the front of the house where the Benoit's chauffer pulled up the limousine.

The Fates, however, didn't seem to have speed in mind. Though the Mardi Gras parade had already wound down, the streets were still clogged with jazz bands and celebrating partiers (not without numerous bottles of beer). After ten minutes of trying to maneuver through the masses, the operation was deemed impossible and the vehicle abandoned.

Daniel ran ahead of the others, only stopping to make sure they were still in sight and earshot. Of course, with all the noise and music, earshot wasn't very far. He did all he could to keep his senses as he dove around one person than another. The whole city looked like it had been painted rainbow, and half of his mind was busy figuring out where the confetti and streamers could possibly still be falling from.

He checked over his shoulder for the group again as he came up to yet another loud jazz band, a bunch of guys dressed up as ferocious animals. It was a usual occurrence to see people in every crazy costume imaginable, and he didn't look twice at the flashy display. He waited for a moment while Naveen, Tiana, and Charlotte caught up to him. They were still no where near the warehouse, and it was no time for them to lose track of each other.

"Which way from here?" Tiana demanded when she reached Daniel, a new vigor coursing through her as she was surrounded in the life of the city that raised her. Daniel turned his head, ready to point in a sure direction, but what he thought was one street had suddenly changed to another. He was sure that street sign had said something else before. Checking every which way he could, heart pounding, he realized they had gone far off course. It would take them forever to get back on track.

Exasperated, Daniel wiped a thin film of sweat from his forehead and shrugged. For all he knew, Facilier and Evangeline could be anywhere in the city, not necessarily the warehouse. Tiana and Naveen held each other close, using the moment to rest and think. Charlotte had predictably been the one of them to succumb to the tempting rhythms of the jazz band, and turned her attention to the faux animals armed with trombones and drums. They certainly looked outlandish. There was a lion, an elephant, a monkey, each more authentic than the next. The most convincing costume, though, was undoubtedly the alligator, who even sported long jaws lined with sharp teeth that still managed to blow his trumpet better than anyone Charlotte had ever seen.

Well, almost, Charlotte reminded herself. She could never forget the real trumpet playing gator that once headlined at Tiana's Palace, before business went bad and the restaurant couldn't afford to book The Firefly Five Plus Lou anymore. Come to think of it, that alligator suit looked almost too convincing…

"Well, bless my eyes! Louis, is that you?" Charlotte gasped as the alligator swiveled his large green head towards her, and the long rows of teeth were exposed in a menacing smile. No doubt about it, the one and only jazz loving alligator was back in town.

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**So...I sort of really don't like this chapter. At all. It may be my least favorite so far. I had the absolute hardest time writing it - I unfortunately seem to be suffering from a serious case of writer's block, another reason for the horridly long update.**

**However, reviews really help get my brain moving:)**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm not dead! Really I'm not! My brain might be though, and that's not good. It's slowly coming back to life, which I desperately need it to do, both for the sake of this story and my AP homework. The writer's block sort of went away towards the end of this chapter, but I cannot in good conscience say it's fully cured. Expect another long wait before I get an update done, especially in the next few weeks, during which I will be starting school again. Also, please note that I have changed my pen name, just so it doesn't confuse anyone. I consider Daze my NN, and if any of you knows what that means I love you and wish to talk to you.**

**And of course I can't forget my reviewers! 333 you all: Whiteling, Nana Cloud, Hermioneroxx77, Random Under The Sun, Naara, x-Taiiwo-x, Bane of Princes, Chocolate Tunda, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, Icecreampopstar, lizziemagic, Vampiress-Hannah-Tsukiyomi, WintersMoons, the one who breathes nitrogen, and AngetianPrincess18!**

**Hopefully I haven't lost too many of you in the long time I've been away! Now presenting: Chapter 14:)**

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The last time Louis had been in New Orleans was before the war started, when the people of the city still needed a little cheering up to take their minds off the severe economic crisis. As the leader of the jazz band the Firefly Five Plus Lou, he had made quite a name for himself, and became the only alligator that hunters didn't point a gun at. His success was known across the jazz community world wide. Who had ever seen a gator that could play any sort of instrument before? It was a monumental accomplishment, not just for Louis, but for the animal world. Animal trainers everywhere tried to mimic Louis's grasp of music with their own animals, but no lion or tiger or bear held a candle to the trumpet blowing reptile.

In the late twenties, the Firefly Five Plus Lou went on a tour throughout the Southern part of the United States, and when they saw how well that went, they added more concert dates up North. He was away for several years more, until Tiana asked him via letter to schedule a return engagement at her restaurant. She hoped that having a celebrity like Louis back on the stage that prompted his rise to fame would attract the costumers that Tiana's Palace had lacked since the economy took a nose-dive.

It was going to be a huge affair. Posters were put up all around town, and the newspapers each had a column advertising the band. There was a buzz on every street corner about Louis's return to the city that gave him a name.

But that had nothing to do with sales.

Sure people talked, and a rather large crowd gathered outside of Tiana's Palace the night of the engagement in hopes of capturing a picture of the portly alligator, but the tables inside the restaurant were barely half filled. The only people who could afford to eat there lived on the nicer side of town, and they had a habit of steering clear of Tiana's Palace. Racial prejudice was not something that could be cured overnight.

Needless to say, having the Firefly Five Plus Lou as their headliners didn't produce the profit Tiana, Naveen, and Eudora had wished for. Louis's fellow band members wouldn't settle for a low salary, not after the sold out concerts they'd gotten used to playing, so he had no choice but to leave his friends for another gig.

Since then, every few years he would drop by and say hello to his old friends. The fireflies of the bayou always welcomed him with open arms, and Eudora and Charlotte were ever kind to him, though he never did have the pleasure of formally meeting Charlotte's little ward. Mostly his visits were centered around a performance for Mardi Gras, and band rehearsal times were an unforgiving force.

There was a several year long gap between Louis's previous trip to New Orleans and the 1944 Mardi Gras celebration. During that time he had taken a liking to touring throughout the marshes and swamps of the south, going temporarily solo so he could give modest concerts to his fellow animals. His dream of playing with the big boys had been fulfilled, and it was time for life to quiet down a little.

But it was all too easy for Louis to be tempted back into one more night of New Orleans partying.

Of course, it was also very easy for him to get distracted from his work, which ultimately turned into a good thing on that February night. If jazz weren't so embedded into his very soul instead of his mind, his whole concentration would have been on the notes and only the notes, and he never would have noticed Charlotte's exclamation.

"Miss Charlotte! And the little frogs!" Louis cried in return, before blowing a few more hiccups of music so his trumpet could make an easy transition out of the number. "It's been years! How ya'll doin'?"

He knew they couldn't understand a thing he was saying - that ability was not retained after Tiana and Naveen turned human again - but he felt confident that he got his point across when they smiled back at him.

"It's lovely to see you too, Louis." Tiana said genuinely. Luckily, the alligator could understand English perfectly. "But we really need your help."

Louis, who had momentarily been sidetracked by an explosive fireworks display, looked at his old friend warily. If she needed directions from him again, she was out of her pretty little mind.

Naveen took over, placing a strong hand on Tiana's shoulder to steady her. "Our daughter has disappeared, and we believe Facilier is behind it. Have you seen anything unusual?" Louis's eyes widened, then took on a more thoughtful expression before he sadly shook his head 'no.' Naveen's shoulder slumped dejectedly. "Then would you happen to know of any old abandoned warehouses near the shopping district? And how to get there?"

He received a look that clearly stated 'are you kidding me' from the gator and he sighed. "Right. Fair enough." Naveen turned to Daniel, who had been rather nonchalant through the one-sided conversation. It seemed the boy had finally learned that his night was going to be far from normal, and he should probably expect to see much weirder things than a King conversing with a reptile.

Running a hand through his hair, Daniel let his gaze travel from street sign to street sign, drawing a map of the city in his head as he recognized the names. "If we take that street over there a go a couple of blocks, we should be fairly close to the right track." He had know clue just how accurate that assessment was, but at that point anything was worth a shot. The rest of the group nodded and started to make their way across the street, but Tiana stopped in her tracks and shouted, "Wait!"

She ran back up to Louis and tenderly clutched his arm, signaling that she really, _really_ needed him to focus. The concern in his eyes communicated that he understood. "Louis," the queen said slowly with as much meaning as she could muster, "I need you to do something very important for me."

Daniel observed the exchange from afar, and couldn't help but wonder just what the King and Queen's story was. Whatever it was, it must have been out of this world if they somehow befriended an alligator. He could tell the reptile was a trusted confidante, from the way Tiana so easily put a task that involved her daughter's safety in his hands - claws. Daniel had no clue what the task was, but the gator accepted without hesitation, though he did send an uneasy glance at his band mates as he abandoned them in the street.

When Tiana rejoined the rescue party, she vaguely explained what she had just done. "We can't defeat Facilier on our own. Louis offered to get back-up." Daniel looked off in the direction that Louis left in, and furrowed his brow. There was nothing but swamplands outside of that part of the city. Who could possibly be out there?

But he chose not to press the issue. The only thing he needed to be concerned with was finding Evangeline. Any explanation to the night's events would have to come later. One silent block of walking later, Eudora's bad hip started to get irritated, and after two more blocks of protesting, she finally relented to Tiana's requests that she return to the La Bouff mansion by trolley. It took many, many more blocks to get even close to their destination, but after an eternity the group finally found the correct street.

Daniel continued to lead the way, and Naveen brought up the rear, hand poised over a sword at his hip. Apparently, the gold-hilted weapon wasn't just for show. Charlotte and Tiana were sandwiched in between the two, though Tiana insisted that such a manner of protection was unnecessary and chauvinistic. Charlotte fervently disagreed.

Finally, just as their legs were turning to jelly and the women's high heels became unbearable, Daniel changed his direction and turned down the familiar dark alley. His steps were heavy and determined, and he felt like nothing in the world could stop him now.

Until he saw a dark, slender figure waiting by the old painted door at the alley's end.

The lights of the street lamps didn't reach into the alley's shadows, but every few seconds a colored glow from the fireworks display would briefly illuminate the darkness. Like lightning, only in a variety of rainbow hues. Though the light only stayed for a blink of an eye, Daniel could make out the woman's general appearance. She was dressed for a formal event, with strong cheekbones and jaw line, and full, waving hair that cascaded elegantly down her back. He knew that face and that hair - hell, he even recognized the dress.

"Evangeline?" He called hoarsely. The woman's head looked up, and another explosion from above cast an eerie green across her skin. Yes. It was her. "Evangeline!" Forgetting the adults behind him, Daniel quickened his pace to a jog and happily embraced his girlfriend - that is, if she took him back.

"Daniel! I'm so glad I found you!" Evangeline held onto him tightly, but he soon pushed her back so he could see her face. There was a thin sheen of sweat across her forehead, and her dark eyes were wild and bloodshot, like she had just seen a ghost. "And Aunt Charlotte! You wouldn't believe the night I've had."

Charlotte dabbed at her eyes and yanked Evangeline away from Daniel so she could give the girl her own hug. "Little Eva, what on Earth happened to you?"

Evangeline lowered her eyes and her voice became meek. "It was Dr. Facilier. He forced me away from the party and took me into the woods." Her eyes flicked over Charlotte's shoulder and showed little surprise in seeing the king and queen there. "He told me you were here, and that you are my real parents. He tried to convince me you were evil, but I wouldn't believe him! I managed to escape, but he's still out there and he could come back to get me!" Tiana reached out her arm, hesitating before touching the young girl's shoulder. Evangeline sniffled and put her face in her hands, crying loudly.

Daniel and Charlotte shifted uncomfortably, both caught by unpleasant surprise at the young girl's behavior. Whatever Facilier did to her, it couldn't have been good if it made her act like such a drama queen.

Naveen and Tiana, simply because they'd been around their daughter for only a couple moments, didn't notice the wails as uncharacteristic at all. Naveen's mouth returned to its serious frown, and he calmly asked, "Where is Facilier now?" And added, not so calmly, "I'll rip him to shreds myself!"

Evangeline's lips curled at his statement, but turned to Charlotte and answered, "He's at the restaurant, the Palace! He says he's taking it for himself. Come on! We have to go!" She grabbed hold of Charlotte and Daniel's arms and started to drag them back towards the street with a savage force that they concluded must have been from an adrenaline rush. The royal couple was only steps behind, both trying to hide the hurt that Evangeline had pretty much ignored them.

"I can't believe he's trying to ruin my restaurant! How much of my life does he want to destroy?" Tiana's eyes no longer held the threat of tears, sadness and worry replaced by livid fire. She looked like she was ready to punch the first person unlucky enough to step in her way.

Daniel, meanwhile, was trying to calm down her daughter. "Evangeline!" He resisted against the teenager's grip, but she was holding on so tight that he wouldn't be surprised if there was a hand shaped bruise there in the morning. "You need to think about this first. We can't just barge in there like an angry stampede!"

"I have thought about this. A lot." Evangeline stated simply without turning around. "I know very well what I'm doing, the entire plan's all set up."

"What plan?" Daniel yelled with frustration. "You just said you came straight from the restaurant when we found you. There's no way you set up a plan." She ignored him, and he hissed as her nails dug further into the skin on his arm, creating her own tears in his tattered scarecrow shirt. Charlotte huffed along side him, constantly stumbling as her expensive heels, that she couldn't bare to discard, caught on stones and cracks in the street.

"I can see it!" Naveen suddenly cried out, and he pointed up the street to a yellow glow. Indeed, it was the restaurant, plain to see because it was the only building in sight still lit up, even on Mardi Gras. "Oh Tiana, it's still just as it was when we last saw it."

"Yeah, and it better stay that way." She said with firm determination. "Alright, Evangeline, sweetie, what's the plan?"

Evangeline said nothing and kept walking, while the rest of the group stopped at a corner a short block from the restaurant.

"Evangeline? Hello?" Charlotte called out waving her gloved hand for emphasis. Finally, the young woman turned, annoyance clearly present in her eyes at having to slow the mission. The light from the streetlight gave her face and even eerier look, casting purple shadowr over her eyes and below her nose and mouth. She appeared…creepily skeletal.

"Don't worry about the plan. I have it all under control, just follow me." _Under control? _Daniel thought critically. _That's a far cry from the girl who broke down crying in the alley not forty-five minutes ago. _

Charlotte, too, picked up on yet another oddity about Evangeline, though her more shallow nature kept her from delving deeper than the girl's façade. It was her dress, actually, the Romanesque gown. Not a bit of it was tattered or even wrinkled. It was as pristine as it was earlier in the evening, save for some dirt at the hem from their walking.

But still, they both dismissed their observations, chalking them up to shock and stress. Evangeline pressed on in the night like she hadn't a worry in the world. That much could not be said for the others, who crept along and jumped at the slightest sound. They put their faith in Evangeline, and trusted her to make the right decisions. Why wouldn't she.

Much too soon, they were under the red awning of the Palace's grand front door. Through the glass nothing in the restaurant seemed out of place. The maitre-d's podium was untouched, the tables were clear and standing upright, and no chandeliers had fallen. Tiana let out a huge sigh of relief and placed a hand over her calming heart.

"It…_looks_ safe." Naveen said hesitantly. Evangeline smiled to herself and agreed:

"We should check around inside. Just to make sure." She took the liberty of going in first, courteously holding the door for the others.

The restaurant was indeed very still, very calm. It was hard to believe that Dr. Facilier had been there at all, and it made them all wonder if Evangeline was telling the truth. But of course she was! She would never lie about something like that, it's just silly. The only thing out of place was that the lighting came from candles mounted on the walls, a feature that Tiana had never approved to be added. Perhaps Eudora had thought it would be nice for a mood effect?

"Come over here! I found something!" Evangeline cried out of the blue, her tone so urgent that Naveen went as far as to leap over a table to reach her more quickly. His wife shook her head and chuckled. She had a feeling Naveen would take the fatherhood thing a bit far.

They group gathered around Evangeline's discovery on the clean floor, and she backed away to allow Charlotte to squeeze into the huddle. Taking a seat on a table a good ten feet away, Evangeline crossed her legs and leaned back, using her arms to support herself. She kept a satisfied smile on her face and yawned, watching as each person debated on what the object on the floor meant.

She didn't need to get a closer look at it, she knew what it was. It was a tarot card, just like the ones Facilier had used to show her all the lies that had been fed to her throughout her life. It was only right to show these people to truth as well, and the image on the card accomplished that task quite well. The picture showed a solar eclipse, the moon blocking out the sun over a group of people that strangely resembled the very personalities that were examining the card.

Evangeline tilted her head thoughtfully, and lifted up on hand, her middle finger and thumb pressed against each other. She almost felt guilty. Tiana, Naveen, and Charlotte were so oblivious, and Daniel was cute. But she still had revenge to seek before she could think about forgiving them.

"Bye bye, sun. Hello shadows." Her fingers snapped.


	15. Chapter 15

**Bet you're all surprised to see me again! Yes, I'm back. Really. Don't act so shocked. If you want something to blame, you are free to take all your frustration out on AP EUROPEAN HISTORY. Please. **

**To those of you have have stuck around, waiting patiently through these past months, I thank you immensely and send you imaginary gift baskets. Seriously, I love you. And to those who are somewhat new, welcome to Star Bright! It's lovely that people still see this. To my Chapter 14 reviewers, let me say that reading those reviews was one of the only things that kept me persevering through mounds of school work and writer's block. You are magnificent: Whiteling, Naara, lizziemagic, Bane of Princes, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, Hermioneroxx77, KoopaEater, charliepaceluver117, Vampira Hannah, Icecreampopstar, Carlint, CheshirePhantom, Conejo-sama, and Decepticon Fan!**

**So many of you have stuck with me since Chapter 1, and I could not be more grateful.**

All at once, the air went very stiff and cold, and then roared up into a mighty wind storm that rumbled with the volume of a freight train. Charlotte was the first to scream, letting out a shriek that was filled with much more genuine fear than any other scream she had ever let slip. Naveen reacted immediately by pulling Tiana behind him with one arm and whipping out his sword with the other. Daniel, however, flinched for only a moment, which piqued Evangeline's interest. He looked briefly at the ceiling and then straight at the eyes of the stone-faced heiress, who was staring back at him indifferently as her hair twisted distortedly across her tilted head.

In the midst of the chaos, black figures began to burst from the tarot card that lay oddly anchored to the floor. They slithered and screeched along the walls and floors of the room, coiling their invisible bodies around the tangible ones of their unfortunate victims. Suddenly aware of what was happening, the group struggled and kicked as they were pulled from their clump and spread out so Evangeline could get a nice, long look at their faces.

She felt a cold hand on her shoulder and turned her head quickly, beaming up at the lanky figure standing behind her like a proud child. Dr. Facilier smiled back, peering at his minions with triumph. He laughed as he saw his old nemeses kicking and struggling to break free from their captors. It was especially satisfying to see Naveen try to hard to reach out to Tiana without any hope of getting near her.

He'd done exceptionally well this time. He had the kind of leverage on them that he didn't think to obtain the first time around. Emotional attacks had always been his style, but this time he really nailed it. The King and Queen had sacrificed a life with their daughter, and the moment they get her back she's snatched away again! It was gleefully depressing.

"Welcome _friends_!" He bellowed sarcastically, though whether or not he was addressing the humans or the shadows was unclear. "We're _so _glad you could make it. Aren't we, Princess?"

Naveen and Tiana felt their hearts ache as Evangeline smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Ecstatic."

"Good!" Facilier shouted as his face gradually darkened into a sinister glare. "After nearly twenty years of waiting, I finally have you all right where I want you. Just in time for the deadline. Correct, my friends?"

He strode forward and took a stroll around their paralyzed bodies, taking great fun in mocking them when they couldn't do anything about it. He circled them like a vulture flying above a dying animal, grinning to himself as he admired his handiwork.

"Eva! Eva, please, what're you doin'?" Facilier's eyes widened when he heard the desperate shout, and he turned sharply to see the annoying blonde, the La Bouff woman, kicking at thing air with a fresh adrenaline rush. Evangeline did nothing but stare at the woman with blank eyes.

"What is she doin'?" Facilier countered, swooping forward so he was face to face with the feisty blonde. "Why she's doin' exactly what she should. _She _came to me first, so you know. I didn't have to convince her to be wary of parents who _abandoned_," the corner of his mouth twitched as he saw the two monarchs winced at his words, "her in another country, with another mother. _She _wants revenge on the people who left her behind…and she'll have it." He turned and reached out a bony hand to the teenager who readily came to his side at his command. "Now Little Princess, just say the word, and all those who lied to you will be gone from your life _forever_."

That was his plan all along. It would crush them all even more if it was Evangeline who ordered their demise. It was one thing for Dr. Facilier to call on the Friends, but their own daughter, their flesh and blood…that would be a much more painful death. He loved the agony that smothered the last bit of hope they had as Evangeline glared at them coldly and parted her painted lips to speak.

"NO!" A colossal scream reverberated off the walls, and the crystals on the chandeliers quivered from the vibrations. This time, it was not Charlotte who plead, but the dreadful Frog Prince. Facilier didn't think he had ever seen so much desperation. Pride filled his already puffing chest. "We only lied to keep her safe! You know that! How much lying have YOU been doing, hm? Tell me, when you told her the 'truth' about her life did you ever mention that YOU tried to kidnap her when she was just a baby?"

Facilier glanced to the girl cautiously, but he was reassured as she did little else but blink at her father for a moment. "It's too late!" He boasted triumphantly. "She only listens to me."

"What did you do to her?" A new voice joined the roster, this time belonging to that pesky college boy, Daniel. Facilier hadn't planned on having a fourth guest, but since the boy was there that meant he would have to go. It certainly wasn't much of a loss, and the Friends wouldn't mind another soul to feast on. Not discouraged by Facilier's disinterest in him, Daniel continued. "I know Evangeline would never betray Miss La Bouff. She's the only family she's ever known! You drugged her, or hypnotized her, or…or something! What?"

Facilier remained stoic, but in his head his thoughts were reeling. Oh yes, that one would _have_ to go. It was a shame. The boy could have been useful later, but the extra blood would only appease the Friends.

"Evangeline! Listen to me! He's lying to you! Please, Angel snap out of it!" Damn it, the kid was persistent, and apparently had merit as a leader, as the others quickly picked up on what he was trying to do and joined his in a chorus of cries all directed toward Evangeline. When Facilier looked at her, her eyes were tightly shut, and she was clutching at her head with her hands. He could almost hear her accelerated pulse, working hard to get her real thoughts flowing and the truth revealed. No, no, no. That wasn't good. His obviously hadn't made the potion strong enough, and he wasn't counting on so many people to try to wrench her real memories out of her. Darn recipe! The Friends had said it would last. It was as if they wanted his demise, and not his - _their_ - enemies'.

Facilier panicked, and shouted, no roared, to the girl, "Now, Evangeline! Tell the friends to kill them now!" If he could have that one satisfaction of having her be the one to kill…that would mean the world. There would be no more blood on his hands.

But it was too late.

******** (An excerpt from Chapter 12)

_I don't know what happened, but it was like I'd been teleported, or time had decided to skip ahead and forgot to tell me. But suddenly I wasn't in the same place anymore. The teacup was gone, and the tarot cards. I wasn't even in the old warehouse anymore, and I felt like I was waking up from a deep sleep. I knew I wasn't. I couldn't have been. The last thing I remembered was being with Dr. Facilier while it was still the early evening. I remembered going to the masquerade, fighting with Daniel, meeting the King and Queen of Maldonia._

_I frantically whipped my head around, trying to figure out where in the world I had ended up. To my great relief, I knew the place. The round tables, the chandelier, and small stage were all things I'd grown up with on my many visits to Tiana's Palace._

_The question was, why the hell was I there now?_

"_Evangeline, please! Don't do this!" What? Who was that? I blinked my eyes and a few blurry figures came into focus._

"_Huh?" I mumbled. Why was Queen Tiana asking me not to do something? What was I about to do anyway?_

"_Little princess," A deep voice purred nearby, and I gladly looked over to Dr. Facilier for answers. "Remember, don't listen to her. Remember what she did to you."_

"_What did she do to me?" I asked him, thoroughly confused by then. I had only just met the queen, and the king for that matter. Both were there, restrained by the invisible monsters whose shadows I could see on the wall behind them. I turned back to the voodoo man, who no longer looked as friendly and warm as I had known him to be. His expression had changed once I uttered the question, his eyes dark and mouth grimacing. _

_Stealing a sideways glance at his own shadow - dear God, was that thing moving on its own? - Facilier leaned away from me and straightened his back. "Well this just won't do."_

******** EVANGELINE*******

I was scared.

Have you ever sleepwalked and woken up in a completely different place than where you started out without any idea how you got there? Well, I haven't, but I imagine it was something like that. I felt like I'd taken one large sleeping pill, but I'd woken up before the allotted time and I was doomed to have a groggy and foggy morning.

Suddenly - because, really, nothing in a hostage situation ever happens slowly - Facilier jerked my trembling arms behind my back, shocking me into a mild state of alert, and held something cold against my throat. I knew what it was. I just didn't want to think about it. As a gasped and shut my eyes, I could taste a ghostly flavor of hot tea in my mouth, but the flavor was lost before I could think of where it came from as it mixed with blood from my newly bitten cheek.

Facilier shoved me forward, and my heart skipped a beat as the knife's blade pressed further against my skin, a sharp sting shooting up my neck and making my eyes water. He patrolled me closer to the King and Queen, these strangers who I knew nothing about yet must have held some importance in my destiny, or they wouldn't be there. We stumbled toward King Naveen first, who had his head violently jerked to face us and held there by whatever shadow was his captor. Gasping for air myself, I could feel his pain as I watched his nostrils flair and his chest heave until Facilier stopped. I was so close to the King that I could tell the deep brown of his eyes, and I pondered for a second how they were the same color as mine. I glanced away quickly though, as Naveen was staring me down with an intense gaze that I couldn't make sense of. I was pretty sure there was some law written down somewhere that one wasn't allowed to look royalty in the eye.

After several more moments of confusing as to why the Doctor had marched me over there, I realized that he'd actually been speaking. " - failed. That's right, everything you ever wished for is right here, juuust out of your reach." The King looked like he was being tortured, but before I could say something I was swung around and maneuvered next to the Queen. I could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead from her struggle, and I felt immense guilt knowing that I must have had some part in causing it. What on earth had I done?

"Did you really think you could outwit _me_?" Dr. Facilier went on with his taunts. "ME? The Shadow Man? You sacrificed a life with your daughter, only to have her ripped away from you anyway." The Queen looked murderous and gave me the same strange stare I had received from her husband.

"You BAST-," Tiana started to yell murderously, but an unseen force clamped her mouth shut, and I heard Facilier's low chuckle behind me. I jolted to the empty space between the King and Queen as The Shadow Man tossed me aside, allowing a "Friend" to bind my arms and legs to my body with its lanky limbs. Realizing how trapped I truly was, with no escape in sight, I entered a panic mode while my lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves. As Facilier strutted his way to the top of a table, I looked around at the others who were now my peers in this predicament, desperate for someone to do something to make this all go away. It was a childish thing to do, I know, but it was all I could think to do. Sheltered life, away from this troubles of the world, was all I'd ever known. I saw Aunt Charlotte and Tiana were sharing a silent moment that I was sure could only be had between best friends. I yearned for Virginia or Ruth as I saw Charlotte's fingers stretch to try and grasp Tiana's hand in her own. Naveen was just out of my peripheral vision, but Daniel… Daniel I could see perfectly.

This was the first time I had really acknowledged him since I had "woken up." Facilier had kept me so focused on the King and Queen that I really hadn't had the time to give him a second glance. I wish I had. He looked like he had been through absolute hell and back. His usually smooth hair was a mess, and his clothes were awfully torn…well, more than they were before. It was a Scarecrow costume, after all. Still, watching him watching me, I became uncomfortable at how easily his strong façade made me forget all the things I was mad at him for. I wanted to tell him he was forgiven and apologize and get to know him even better than before. The thought popped into my head that maybe we could build a strong relationship out of what we had, not just a teenage fling.

And of course that moment got ruined right quick. Surprise.

Facilier was probably greatly enjoying feeling like a king from his elevated perch atop the formerly clean and now dirt smeared table. As hard as I was trying to convince myself he didn't frighten me, the idea that he was able to fool me and the look on his face at that moment was terrifying. He swept his beady eyes over the pathetic lot of us, a smug grin still stretching his features.

"Alright boys," He crooned to his shadow minions. I thought I heard Tiana preparing to send a glob of saliva his way. I wish she'd had time to let it fly. "Time to wrap this up once and for all." Looking at us each one last time, he peered at me from under the brim of his hat, a bony finger stretched out in my direction. He eerily reminded me of the grim reaper, choosing his victims.

"But not this one." The Shadow Man instructed firmly. "I'll be need The Little Princess for a little while longer." My blood ran cold and my throat went dry. I was _not_ keen on being a pawn for this demon's maniacal game of chess again. Not too far away, I saw Daniel jerk against his restraints, and all I wanted was to rush over to him and at least say goodbye, if this was how it would all end. With labored breath, he glanced up to me, our eyes meeting for what I hoped wasn't the last time.

Facilier raised his hand fingers poised to snap. This was it, I thought. All the family I had ever known was about to be taken away. I lifted my face to the ceiling and choked on the sobs that had begun to set my scratchy throat on fire. What did I do? What _could _I do?

And just then, windows crashing, the night sky fell into Tiana's Palace.

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**Yeah...that's another cliffy. But, a well known solution is reviews! Reviews mean that I will write faster, and the cliffy will be no more.**

**In all seriousness, if I hadn't gone back and look at all my reviews again, this chapter would still be weeks away. Love you all! - xDazex**


	16. Chapter 16

**Soooooo...I really don't have an excuse. My sincere apologies. I guess it just took a while to decide what I wanted to happen in this chapter and which direction I wanted it to take. I hope there are enough of you out there who still care about this story! I know it's been a while, but I do still love all of you who have supported this story from the beginning.**

**Especially last chapter's reviewers, who are the most amazing people ever: Bane of Princes, Princess Tricia, Aktress, CheshirePhantom, Icecreampopstar, xXGlamorousGloraXx, Conejo-sama, Decepticon fan, Hermioneroxx77, Snowland316, haruko sohma, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, TianaNaveenMegaFan. Nuandi, Ravenclaw992, and SerenaPotterSailorMoon!**

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So many things occurred in that single second.

The first was that everything went black, and all along the walls animated tribal masks appeared like nocturnal neon signs. The largest took residence on the stage, and my eyes were drawn to its frightening face. It was the epitome of dark magic, and its unmoving eyes were trained on the Shadow Man, who bowed to the Mask in reverence. They started chanting in a language I didn't understand, but that I felt I'd encountered in one of my visits to Facilier's warehouses. The Doctor himself seemed to be floating in mid-air, his (now glowing) skeleton mask once again in place over his eyes. It was a scene straight out of a childhood nightmare, and Facilier was the boogeyman. All around him fog began to swirl and voodoo dolls appeared out of nowhere, banging drums and tormenting the trapped victims.

At the same time the door burst open with such force that the hinges broke and every one of the windows shatter, sending shard spraying all across the restaurant. Upon hearing the deafening noise I shut my eyes to shield them from glass rain, but with my arms restrained I could do nothing to save my cheeks and forehead from the stinging bits. Above the mayhem I could hear the short gasps of the others experiencing the same pain I felt.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with a bright glow, and my first thought was that the ceiling had been ripped clear off the building. It looked like we were under an open sky that was freckled a greater abundance of incredibly bright stars than I had ever seen in my life. I figured the destruction was all part of Facilier's plan to ruin everything Tiana had built. My shock must have made me disregard the fact that the stars were moving - swarming - and in some cases were inches in front of face.

One look at the Witch Doctor's sudden fury told me that the building most certainly wasn't destroyed, and those certainly weren't stars that had rushed through the gaping windows like floodwater. Another glance at the Queen's relieved expression only confirmed that.

And with a much needed revelation, it clicked in my mind that this glowing specks of light that illuminated Tiana's Palace were…fireflies? Yes! They were a huge gathering of fireflies, and it didn't look like they were there by accident. They were organized. Working like an army, some surrounded Facilier while other units attacked the shadows that held us captive. Before I could even react, I felt the suffocating force of the shadow disappear from around my torso. The creature emitted a terrible shriek as it died, and I learned that it was the fireflies' light that must have been lethal to the monsters. When light was present, they couldn't be.

Not seconds had gone by when another pair of arms came back to strangle me, but this time it wasn't a monster - it was Aunt Lotte. I clung to her in turn, assured that I would never want to let go ever again after being so close to never hugging any of my family again. From somewhere in the firefly blizzard I could make out the Shadow Man's frustrated growls and the King and Queen telling each other how much they loved one another. Aunt Lotte and I stopped embracing to survey our surroundings, but stayed firmly connected by hooking our arms.

The giant masks stayed on the walls, their faces set in eerie frowns with the eyebrows set low over their intimidating eyes. Even without pupils, I could tell they were glaring at Facilier, who was barking at thin air from inside a vortex of swirling insects. As we watched him lose his mind, Tiana and Naveen came to reunite with Aunt Lotte and I, both giving us silent exclamations of satisfaction for reasons I was unsure of. Aside from killing the shadows, I didn't understand what the bugs could do. They couldn't kill the Doctor, who was still very much alive. What was most confusing was the pride that the royal couple now beamed with, as if the miniature stars were their own private army. Its not as if bugs were like dogs - they weren't pets and they couldn't be taught tricks…or could they?

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to find Daniel's tired face a head above me, and I immediately reached up to secure my hands around his neck in a desperate attempt to show him that I cared that he was okay. "I'm sorry for whatever it was that I did." I whispered with as much feeling as I could muster. Pulling away, I searched his eyes for signs of forgiveness. He nodded mutely to me with a small sigh, and we both turned back to watch Facilier warily. None of us tried to leave. I think we wanted to be sure he was gone for good before we let him out of my sight.

"Come on you cowards!" Facilier was screaming like a madman at the ceiling, avoiding the gazes of the tribe of masks. "You're weak! A few meaningless insects can do you in? Come back here and do as I say!" The Friends showed no sign of returning to aid him, and his wild eyes danced this way and that. His life was on the line, and his metaphorical high-wire was about to snap. The rest of us stayed huddled together, waiting to see what would play out within the safety of our numbers.

The masks started to pulse with light and a deep drum beat started to vibrate through the air. Facilier's eyes went wide and in a panic he ran through the firefly barrier. He sprinted for the door, scrambling and tripping clumsily the whole way in mad hope that he could escape his fate. As he neared the exit, Naveen's hand darted for his hilted sword, prepared for a pursuit, but Tiana placed a hand on his arm and looked expectantly at the door.

The door was still open from when the storm of bugs made their entrance, and I couldn't believe that no one was even trying to stop him from leaving. Even the masks were still. Lotte and Daniel seemed as confused as I was, and I think the only ones that weren't surprised when Facilier halted at the doorframe were the King and Queen. He remained still as stone for several moments. It didn't even seem like he was breathing.

I looked around, puzzled, and tightened my grip of Aunt Lotte's arm, just in case, murmering, "What -,"

"_ROOOAAARRR!" _A horrifying, animalistic cry shook the entire Palace, and I burrowed my face into Charlotte's shoulder like a frightened child. Daniel's reflex was side step in front of my aunt and me like some kind of shield, which only made me more sure that I needed to make a sincere apology to him later.

Tiana and Naveen heard the growl and laughed.

Peeking out from squinted eyes, I could see Facilier now sitting on the ground, scuttling away from the door in a spastic crab walk, not even attempting to avoid the broken glass that adorned the path he took. He was whimpering incoherently, the occasional "no" or "please" evident in his pleading. A moment later I could see what was causing his distress, and frankly I didn't blame him.

Standing in the entrance to the restaurant was the biggest gator I had ever seen, though I must admit I hadn't seen a wide variety. His teeth were large and sharp, and his eyes were intensely focused on his prey, which thankfully was the Shadow Man and not the spectators.

Now, I realize that my night had been far from normal. By that point I should have been used to seeing anything supernatural or out of order. And yet, I was still shocked to see an impossibly old woman with a snake wrapped around her arm perched serenely on top of the ferocious beast, which slithered forward on all fours until it had Facilier backed up against the stage. He was visibly shaking as the reptile moved closer to him, the scaly snout just inches from the unfortunate soul. But the gator did not devour him, and did nothing as the ancient woman gripped her gnarled staff and moved to get on the ground. Too late, I noticed that the woman was blind, and just when I though she might fall, her pet snake darted beneath her feet and formed a staircase for her to step down.

"That's enough Louis." The woman spoke in her creaky voice. The gator - Louis I suppose - stopped his low growling in disappointment and lifted himself onto to legs. Still unsure of whether he was dangerous or not, I gasped in fright as the towering animal started to walk toward us.

Tiana and Naveen looked back at me when they heard my breathy protest, but they just smiled and welcomed the alligator to our group. "Thank you, my friend. You have outdone yourself." Naveen patted Louis's shoulder and the reptile grinned, every one of his razor teeth visible.

"This is the one with the trumpet you were…uh…talking to earlier, right?" Daniel was careful with his words as he spoke, but at the time I didn't think they could mean the literal interpretation. I didn't believe anyone could talk to an alligator…they were swamp monsters.

"Yes it is. He's been our friend for a long time." Tiana replied as if she was discussing the weather. "Thank you so much again, Louis. I can't believe you managed to get all the fireflies out here!" Louis puffed out his chest, looking quite proud of himself for finding such wonderful backup.

Aunt Lotte and I said nothing during this exchange, and continued to hold on to each other like security blankets. I was busy eyeing the old woman, feeling quite curious about who she was and how she would be able to hold off the Shadow Man on her own, especially without her sight. But as I watched them, he never stopped looking afraid for his life.

"Who is that?" I finally inquired.

Tiana glanced at me knowingly and said mysteriously, "The Voodoo Queen of the Bayou: Mama Odie."

_Meanwhile…_

After reaching the ground, Mama Odie gave Juju a good pat and let the snake guide her to the cringing Witch Doctor. He expected her to do something crazy, like wave her staff in the air and send him off into oblivion. Heaven knows she was capable of it. She could have at least started screaming at him. That would have been at least expected. But no. The old woman just stood that and stared at him with her sightless eyes as if she could see him more clearly than anyone else. She probably could.

And that was so much worse.

They stared and stared and stared at each other. He could bring himself to look away from the Voodoo Queen, who stood over him as he pressed himself closer to the ground to lengthen the distance between them. The presence of the ever-powerful friends on the stage behind him sent pins and needles up his spine, but Facilier knew that even they remained silent and still. Even they respected and feared the woman's power, which likely matched, if not exceeded, their own.

Seeing Mama Odie standing there, radiating disappointment, dredged up feelings in him that had been suppressed by his own selfish desires. Guilt. There was suddenly so much guilt. All the woman had to do was look at him and he remembered all of the mistakes he made that hurt the ones he loved. How did he let it get this far?

After ages and ages of staring and regretting, Mama Odie spoke. "What happened to ya, Andre?"

Facilier clenched his teeth and wrenched his gaze away from her. It had been years since anyone dared to call him that.

"Life happened." He replied bitterly.

"You didn't give Lisette my potion." It was a statement, not a question. Somehow he always had hunch that she knew he had betrayed her instruction. "I warned you, L'il Andre and you didn't listen!" She inches away from his face now, one bony finger pointing accusingly at him. "I told you not to stray from what you _needed."_

Facilier closed his eyes and shook his head, wishing that his life was just one long nightmare. "How was I supposed to know?" He choked out in broken sobs. "They told me they would save her. I was only twelve! How was I supposed to know?" He hissed as the sting of a slap exploded on his cheek, and his eyes snapped open to find Mama Odie's face turning red in anger.

"They were monsters made out of shadows, ya Fool! What did you expect?" He blinked at the immortal witch, surprised at her words. He hated them, but they were true. She looked at him expectantly, but when he said nothing back she sighed and began to wave her staff above her head.

The world around them melted away into a new scene. The magic startled him, though he had done the very same thing countless times before. It was different on the receiving end, he realized. His eyes darted fearfully around his unfamiliar surroundings, and he hoped Mama Odie would say something reassuring. She didn't. He accepted that he probably didn't deserve reassuring.

The house Mama Odie had brought them to was small, and certainly not nice, but it felt homey. Facilier felt a tad stupid for feeling scared in such an amiable place. The room they were in was a tiny kitchen, that smelled of a well-cooked supper that was being prepared on the run down stove. As one of the pots began to boil over, a woman rushed in to take it off that fire and scoop healthy quantities of the soup into four bowls. Though he could only see her back, Facilier recognized something about the woman. Perhaps it was her mass of curly hair, which was messily arranged in a knot of the back of her head. He wasn't sure.

A screen door slammed from somewhere else in the house, making Facilier jump at the noise. A moment later a man strode into the kitchen, and the woman turned around from her task to greet him with an affectionate hug and a kiss. In that fleeting moment Facilier saw her face and knew who she was.

"Lisette!" He gasped, only to be poked in the shoulder and hushed by his withering companion.

"Boys come on to eat!" The woman, his beloved sister, called. Her voice was mature, but he could still find elements of her childhood self in the sound. Facilier could help but smile while he watched to young boys run in to take their seats at the run down table, eager to dig in to their supper. Lisette and her husband took their seats after setting a bowl of soup at each place and said a quick prayer. The boys were quick to attack their food, sloshing the liquid messily around in the bowls.

"Andre, use your napkin, please." Lisette chided to the oldest child, who sheepishly obeyed and replaced the sleeve of his shirt with a napkin. She smiled approvingly. She was happy with her life, and Facilier was equally happy for her. Her life was clearly wonderful, and the Witch Doctor thought he must have done something right.

Until Mama Odie said, "This is what Little Lisette's life _would_ have been like - _if_ you had given her _my_ cure."

Facilier's heart stopped on those words. He knew that meant Mama Odie was about to show him something awful. It meant he had really messed up. It meant he had cost Lisette a happy life with a family of her own. But how?

The scene changed and they stood outside of a different building, this one large and ominous, with peeling paint and a weed-covered lawn. There was an abandoned wheelchair sitting on its side next to an algae covered fountain. The atmosphere made both voodoo practitioners shudder. This was not a place anyone should want to be. The sky was dark and rain threatened to fall, but Facilier didn't notice. All he saw was the great iron gate, with the word "ASYLUM" decoratively placed at the top.

Mama Odie had narration planned for this scene, as the decrepit place was deserted of humans to show them a story.

"My potion would have given Lisette strength in _all_ aspects of life," she began solemnly, "but the deal you so foolishly made with the devil only promised to ease her physical ailment. They didn't tell you that the cure had to take strength from somewhere else did they?" She looked at him, but he didn't respond. He didn't want to hear what came next. Still, her creaky voice, laced with the dramatic flare that she was known for, continued with the sad tale. "You didn't stick around long enough to see the effects. The cure the Friends had given you saved her body, but slowly over the years she paid the price with her mind, which deteriorated. In her late teens her dementia became to strong for your father or anyone else to care for her properly. She went insane, always seeing things that weren't there and lashing out at pretty much anyone who so much as touched her. Schizophrenia made her paranoid and confused about what was real and what wasn't. So she was sent here.

"She passed on two years before they shut this place down for good. Turns out Asylums often abused and raped their patients, who were helpless to do anything about it." She stopped there, and allowed her words to sink in. Facilier had long since closed his eyes and sunk to the ground. Mama Odie stood there and watched him sob, knowing he was now and forever a truly broken soul. Calmly, and quietly, she brought them back to Tiana's Palace, where, in a hurricane of wind, Facilier succumbed to the gaping mouth of the Chief Voodoo Mask that was more than happy to swallowed him whole. He did not protest this time. He did not fight even the slightest bit. He just cried out for the sister he left behind and the life he could have known, until the Mask's mouth clamped shut to the beating of drums and the screeching of the celebratory Friends.

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**Well, I'd say there are only a couple more chapters left. There is a lot to resolve for Miss Evangeline. Review and tell me what you think:)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Oh yes! I'm back, with a sincere promise that this story is not dead and will never die! I plan to finish this story, mark my words. That being said...this is the second to last chapter. It has been nearly two years exactly since this story began, and we are nearly at the close. It is ver bittersweet, and I thank the following reviewers for riding this ridiculous voodoo roller-coaster with me: Hermioneroxx77, danaplayshorn, Icecreampopstar, MusicDisneyStoked, haruko sohma, xXGlamorousGloraXx, Conejo-sama, Chocolate Tunda, Decepticon Fan, Snowland316, The Bitch Next Door, JuJu, and Crescent Blue (Snowland316 in disguise who was kind enough to review twice)! A good portion of you have reviewed many of my chapters and I appreciate your support more than anything.**

**I was extremely inspired this afternoon with this chapter. I wrote more than half of it in just a few hours! I just had to get it to you all before I let myself go to bed. I just wish I had the same motivation when it comes to studying for my midterms:)**

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Darn sunlight.

I was feeling immensely relaxed for the first time in a long while. There was nothing like the comfort of a person's own bed, that nobody slept in but them. Only I could appreciate the wonder that was my pillow and my sheets and my mattress. Cuddling deeper and deeper into the plush softness made me feel safe and happy inside.

The sun had no respect for such luxuries.

The sun wanted me up, and it wanted me up _now._

And of course, as soon as I opened my eyes there was no hope of ever going back to my dream world. In Dream World, I didn't have the memories of a Voodoo nightmare come to life. In Dream World, I didn't have a kind-of boyfriend who was going off to war.

In Dream World there wasn't international royalty sleeping in the guest room next door.

I sat up and stared at the floor for god-knows how long. There lay my costume in a crumpled heap on the floor - only more proof that last night happened. Next to them were my shoes, discarded just as carelessly. I lifted a hand to my hair - it was the rats nest I expected it to be. My pillow was smeared with mascara that I was too tired to remove. Daring a look in the mirror over my vanity, I caught sight of the horror that was me after a long night of supernatural adventures. The dark bags and bloodshot eyes weren't a surprise. What did surprise me was the short, horizontal line on the front of my neck.

Lifting a trembling hand, I brushed my fingers against the scab, wiping away some of the left over dried blood in the process. I only vaguely remembered my brief encounter with Facilier's knife. Most of the night was a blur of adrenaline.

We had watched Facilier die. It was a relief to see him gone, but I was still left confused and troubled, with a severe doubt in my own sense of judgment. Who could I trust myself to trust after realizing how easily I had been manipulated?

I remembered that Mama Odie was nowhere to be seen after Facilier's demise. She must have left as quickly as she had come. The fireflies followed us home to help light our way, a sight that I'm sure did not look normal to any strangers we passed. Such persons' apathy and drunkenness helped us navigate the streets without much interruption. Louis had to leave to reunite with his band members - though I suspected he may be coming around again before he departs the city. I planned to keep a safe distance if he did - a friendly alligator was not something I was ready to get to comfortable with.

Gingerly lifting myself from the bed, I put more effort than it was probably worth into moving across the floor as soundlessly as possible. At my vanity I went through my usual morning routine - it was a desperate attempt to convince myself everything was normal, though I knew very well it may never be again. My whole body felt numb, like I was in dense fog with no sense of direction. I brushed my hair, washed my face, and dressed myself all without thinking a single coherent thought. Every action was practiced and mechanical, though I think I took much less time than usual, to delay the inevitable.

I don't know how many seconds, minutes, hours passed while a stood at my door, my hand resting on the brass knob. The metal was so cold - and my hand was sweating to the point where - when I did force myself to turn the contraption - it took several tries before enough friction occurred for me to succeed. Once the click of the lock signaled the door was open, there was no going back. I put one bare foot in front of the other and padded my way down the hallway. When I found myself down two flights of stairs I realized I had no idea how I'd gotten there. One moment I was lying in bed, the next I was fully dressed a made up for the day ahead, standing just outside the dining room.

I knew that I was not the only one in the house awake. I could smell the bacon and eggs that no doubt were laid out on our best china with all of the fancy silverware on the dining room table, and yet I heard no clink of silver against ceramics, nor the healthy chatter of mealtime. There was chatter, yes, but only of the hushed, unintelligible kind. I rested in the hallway, completely isolated from the three people behind the door. Laying one hand against the olive colored wall, and then my head, I closed my eyes and breathed for several moments. I had the strong feeling my life was altered, and I didn't know how to handle it. Slowly letting my eyes drift open I stared ahead of me, where a grand portrait of the so-called Big Daddy La Bouff hung proudly for everyone to see. I had never met the man, but only ever heard good things about him. They said he was good-natured, generous, and had a large laugh. I found myself asking him to help me through whatever was to come. Perhaps I needed all the assistance I could get.

With all of the mental strength I could muster, I pursed my lips and pushed the dining room door open, cringing as a rusty hinge squeaked. I was met with not the three pairs of eyes I expected, but four. You cannot imagine my relief when I discovered the fourth pair simply belonged to Nana. But still.

None of them were seated around the table, which was indeed decorated with platters protected and kept warm by ornate silver tops. They all stood together near the windows, looking out at the garden while carrying on a conversation. At least, I imagine that was what they were doing. As soon as that wretched hinge disturbed my entrance every eye was one me, and not a word was spoken.

Until Aunt Lotte, bless her, broke the silence, as she could always be counted upon to do. "Evangeline - you're up." I wish she hadn't chosen that moment to be a person of few words. "How did you sleep?"

I choked out a short 'good,' briefly glancing over to the King and Queen, whose overwhelming yet still unidentifiable emotions intimidated me to no end.

"We…have some things we need to talk about." I nodded, and took my seat at the table as Lotte claimed the head. Nana sat beside me, giving my hand a squeeze, and the King and Queen sat opposite us.

I had thought, after all that I had witnessed, that I was prepared to handle anything.

I was dead wrong.

They told me everything, starting with the Mardi Gras they met and ending with the night they left me. I was in shock and awe. What the heck was I supposed to say to all of that? It took a moment for it to really hit me: These people were my _parents_. My _family_. I was suddenly hyper-aware of everything - how much I looked like a perfect mix of their features, how my smile matched his and my hair had the same untamed curls as hers. And Nana…Nana was my grandmother! She was my actual Nana this whole time, and she never said anything.

Tiana and Naveen - _Mom and Dad_ - looked so happy and so anxious at the same time. They just stared at me, waiting to see what I would do, but I couldn't sort out my emotions. I had never really considered what would happen if I ever saw my parents. The few times it passed my mind I just told myself it was never going to be. But this…this was far more complicated and awkward than I ever could have imagined! Since when was my life a fantasy book? People don't just walk into your life and tell you you're foreign royalty. It's not normal.

Okay, I understood that they did what they thought was best for me but…I still couldn't help but be more than a little pissed off. I mean, they went almost eighteen years - eighteen freaking years! - without any contact with me. I had never seen these people before in my life, not as my parents, not as family friends, not as anything, and all of a sudden they were sitting at my dining room table saying they were my biological parents. What did they expect me to do? Squeal and run off to Maldonia to become a princess like I had nothing here to lose?

And that's another thing - I knew absolutely nothing about Maldonia. I mean, when I was little Charlotte and I would sometimes sit and read about the country and its customs in a world travel book. I thought that was just a little educational enrichment activity. It certainly makes much more sense now.

But still, I don't even know how to speak Maldonian or whatever it was that they spoke there. Maybe it was French or Italian or something - but it wasn't like I was fluent in one of those either.

Nana asked me if I was alright. I lied and said yes. I couldn't look any of them in the eye. I didn't know what I was feeling, so I excused myself and quietly grabbed my coat as I went outside on the front lawn.

The day was pretty much cloudless. Too happy for my tastes at the moment. Why couldn't the world be a cliché for just one moment and let the sky pour down rain? Leaning up against the iron gate I observed the quiet street in front of me. It seemed most of the city was getting over a severe hangover, though a few unlucky souls were trudging about after coming off of their holiday high. It seemed appropriate that I joined them, so I bundled deeper into my coat and set off along the sidewalk. My subconscious was clearly in charge of my body at the time, because there was no way I voluntarily chose the direction that lead straight to the Benoit's street. But somehow I got there and I stopped at a corner, glaring at the large white house that was the only one to rival ours for Yard of the Month. Embarrassingly, I started to feel the burning of saltwater at the base of my eyes, and wiped at them quickly before any tears could fall.

I wondered how the Benoits were faring - if they were holding up better than us. Our lives certainly seemed at bit more complicated than theirs, but then again we didn't have a son going off to war and a party-gone-haywire to explain. Determination filled me as I began hoofing my way toward the house, but what I was determined about escaped me. Did I wasn't to apologize for the disturbance? I probably should have but that would have raised more questions than answers. No need to have Daniel's family thinking I was crazy.

I looked up from my feet and immediately halted where I was. So did he.

We looked at each other.

And looked some more.

I wiped my eyes again. They felt puffy now.

He was there, not ten feet away from me. He had been walking in the opposite direction. He looked awful, and I cringed at what I must look like to him.

We each took a few tentative steps and were soon close enough to have a proper conversation, but I don't think either of us knew the right thing to say. From up close I could really see just how tired he looked. It was his black eye, though, that really made me feel guilty.

I cleared my throat. "Um, I was just…coming to see you." I think that's what I was doing anyway.

"Me too." Daniel said quietly. Then we stared at the ground a bit, shuffled our feet. One of us commented on the cold. "How are you doing since…you know?" He finally said.

I shrugged. "My memory's a complete mess and my whole world just got turned upside-down. You?"

"About the same."

I felt terrible. He looked like he'd been through hell and back, which judging on the bits and pieces I could remember was probably true. "I'm sorry." I whispered, unable to get any volume into my voice for fear of it cracking. "I don't know what I did last night, but I'm really sorry. I don't know why you came after me after everything I said but…thank you."

Daniel brought his eyes - I loved his eyes - up to meet mine and he seemed…angry. His voice was scratchy and worn as he growled, "You have nothing to be sorry about. I don't want you to ever be sorry about something that isn't your fault! Okay?"

"Okay!" I squeaked, surprised at his intense emotion. We were closer now, only inches apart. My head was tilted back so I could watch him, and he was contemplating me while his mouth pressed into a worried line. I sighed, a puff of white coming up between the two of us as my hot breath met the biting cold. "My parents are here. The real ones." I felt the pressing need to let him know. He was the one I wanted to tell first. Not Virginia or Mary or Ruth. Him.

His answer threw me off. "I know."

"You know?"

He stuffed his hands deeper into his coat pockets and looked straight into my eyes, and I was held there in paralysis. There was no way I could look away from those eyes, and I think he know that.

"I know." He murmured again, and I marveled at the smoothness of his voice. Like hot chocolate. "They told me last night."

That made sense. I guess it would have been strange if they were running around New Orleans with him while they looked for me without letting him in on their connection to the ordeal.

"Do you know who they are? You know, besides my parents?" Every word that came out of my mouth sounded so foolish. The whole thing seemed like a child's story. How was I supposed to tell him that I was some kind of royalty. Daniel's dark eyebrows came together in confusion - and, boy, was it cute - while he shook his head no.

I ran a hand through my hair, huffing when my fingers got caught in a tangle. Typical. Frustration set in as I deduced how I was going to go about this. How did he not know? Wouldn't his parents have told him if Maldonian monarchs were attending their little Mardi Gras masquerade? The only possibility was that he hadn't been talking to his parents much and hadn't bothered to go down to the party before I saw him. Somehow I thought any distance between him and his parents might be my fault too. I'm the one that put him in that horrible mood.

After a minute or so of attempting to organize the sentence fragments floating around my head I started to explain, albeit not well. "Um...okay so…here's the thing…ah…my parents are…they're…they're sort of…Ugh!" I wiped my hand across my eye again, damning the tears that clouded my vision. "I don't know how to get this out!" My voice was quivering. I hated sounding this pathetic. A large hand came to rest on my shoulder and I let it guide me to a nearby bench. I shivered as I felt the seat's cold metal through my clothing, and the warm arm attached to the hand secured itself around my shoulders. I felt so comfortable and safe with Daniel. I could have sat like that with him for hours, but there were more important things to think about.

He didn't say anything, just waited patiently as I gathered the bits and pieces of myself as best as I could. I spared a glance to look at him, making sure that he really was there and not just a figment of my imagination. I was worried that all the stress was sending me into madness. But no, he was there, nothing but concern written across his angel-face. I let my head fall into his shoulder and fixed my gaze on a crow sitting on a rooftop across the street. I would have liked to have been a crow right about then. They were so non-descript, so common, and they could fly away whenever they wanted with not a care in the world.

"They're a king and queen from a small country called Maldonia." I didn't know I was speaking until I felt the vibration in my throat - my neck's position combined with the strain of speaking tugged at the sensitive scar across my skin.

"I've heard of it," was his only response. I found strange comfort in his thoughtful silence. I needed it.

"They had a history with Facilier. He was after me for revenge, so they sent me away to protect me. They thought he was gone and didn't want to miss my eighteenth birthday, so they came back."

"Impeccable timing."

I 'hmphed' in mild amusement.

And there was more silence. I listened to his breathing and watched the sun-bathed street activity, avoiding looking at any shadows. We sat like that in perfect harmony with each other for minute after minute.

Finally, I croaked out in a choked sob, "I don't want to leave."

Daniel shifted under me, and I lifted my eyes to gaze up at him. He looked so caring in that moment. I didn't know why I ever doubted him. He practically risked his life saving me the night before and now he was the one trying to comfort me?

He hugged me closer and asked, "Why would you have to leave?"

"They're my parents," I told his like the answer was obvious, which it was, "I'll have to go back with them. I'm their only child and heir to the throne. They'll want to train me so I can be queen one day." I shuddered. It all sounded so weird. I continued, getting so caught up in the momentum I suddenly gained to say whatever was on my mind. "And, maybe I should go! I mean, what else would I do? I'm graduating in a few months, and then what? All of my friends are heading to different places. Virginia's moving to Atlanta to be a stenog for her uncle, Ruth has an internship offer in _Paris_ of all places, and God-knows that Mary's doing half the time! Here I am, not even sure of _who_ I am anymore. And then," I gulped, tripping over my words, "And then you're leaving too. What will I have left here except Nana and Charlotte?"

The emotions swimming in his eyes were so conflicting, sad, anxious, and…amused at the same time. He brought his hand up to my face, his thumb drawing circles in my cheek while the rest of his fingers disappeared into my hair. "Angel," He laughed as he said the nickname, and I couldn't help but smile. "I'm not leaving."

It was my turn to furrow _my_ eyebrows. "Pardon?"

In the most adorable way possible his smile grew, like he was sharing an inside joke with himself. "I'm not leaving. Last night you left so quickly you didn't give me time to explain." A deep blush crept into my cheeks. I had been pretty unreasonable.

"But how could you not be leaving? You can't just say no to a draft letter, Daniel."

"I didn't."

"What?"

He laughed his wonderful deep laugh, enjoying my bewilderment. "When I left it wasn't to enlist. I, uh," His hand left my cheek (much to my disappointment) and went to scratch the back of his head. I could tell he was embarrassed about whatever it was he had to tell me. "I…I went back up to Columbia and begged them to forgive me and take me back. I'm due to go back for the summer semester under probation. If my grades aren't top-notch they're dropping me." He sighed. "I hate school, but I hate war more…And I hate making you and my family upset."

I think I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Daniel watched me expectantly, waiting to see my reaction. I was overjoyed and relieved. I would get to keep Daniel for a little while longer, even if I had to give him come summer. I found myself laughing, giggling hysterically while I embraced him more tightly than I ever had before. Before long he was joining me, and we were just two idiots sitting on a bench laughing for no apparent reason. Then I kissed him. I had never initiated a kiss before. It had always been the boy, but this time I was taking control. It was our _real_ first kiss.

And it was magical.

My hands were held in his and I cuddled into him, completely content. But, being the slight pessimist that I was, I couldn't help but think, what next? I had Daniel, yes, but only for a few months, until he was off to New York again, hundreds and hundreds of miles away. College was not in my future, there was no way I could go with him. I'd be stuck here, alone.

My thoughts drifted back to my parents, and for the first time in my entire life I felt a yearning to know them. Really know them. I sort of bubbling warmth of excitement built up in the pit of my stomach as I considered all of the things I had yet to learn about myself that I could only find out with their help. I had an entire family history that I didn't even know about until that morning! What sorts of adventures and secrets lay buried deep in my genealogy? What lives did my ancestors lead? What kind of culture burns within me?

Could I do it? Could I leave everything - my home, my friends, my life - to pursue a part of me that had laid dormant inside of me for nearly eighteen years?

It hit me. I was a princess. There was an entire land across the Atlantic Ocean that I was destined to lead, filled with people whose roots are the same as mine. I had always felt a little out of place in New Orleans. I lived with an aunt who had no relation to me and in a society where no one looked like me. Now I knew why, and I had the opportunity to accomplish far more than I ever imagined. It was my responsibility to do so. I owed it to myself, my family, my _people_ to do all that I could to make up for the time I'd lost and learn how to be the best I could be.

I guess Daniel and I were kind of alike in that respect.

I took in a big breath. I knew what I wanted to do, and by the way he smiled at me, Daniel knew too.

"I'm going to go with them."

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**Well. There it is. One chapter to go. I can't believe I have come this far with Evangeline. I look foward to posting the Epilogue. Reviews make it come faster:)**


	18. Epilogue

Once upon a time there was a little girl. She carried a green baby blanket and sucked her thumb. She lived with her aunt and thought that was normal. Her life was blissful, she was spoiled, and her heart full and unburdened.

Skirts grew to dressed and pigtails turned to sensible up-dos. The heart that had no want learned what it was missing. Strange how once you get the thing you never knew you were missing you feel a little emptier than before – now you can lose it.

My butt is cramping.

Well there goes that poetic moment.

But actually, I need to get out of this chair. How much longer could he possibly take? I've been sitting here for hours, managed to go through my entire life's story in my head, yet here I am. It's not even lunchtime. I strain my eyes to peer out the large windows looking out over the bay of Maldonia's capital city. Little white boats float out at sea like seagulls. Lining the shore, stacked on top of each other as easily as children's blocks are multi-colored houses, piling up the hills on top of which rests the historic palace and parliament chambers. I am thankful every moment that Maldonia is an island nation, just far enough out to sea off the shore of the mainland of Europe that the war has little to do with us. They say is coming to a close soon. I'm not sure I can believe it.

"Until next week, your highness." The low voice of the portrait artists stuns me out of my reverie. While he packs up his brushes and palette I take a moment to stretch my arms and back. I stand up but it doesn't feel much better because I'm wearing about 30 pounds of clothing. The King Mother – my other grandmother – wanted my first official portrait to be in full traditional Maldonian dress. She said it would ease the people's minds about me being raised American. So here I am in a massive purple skirt with petti-coats with a thick cream sash weighing on my shoulder.

I make my way back to my room with my skirts bundled up in my arms so I won't trip. When I first arrived about 8 months ago the hallways were a maze, but I have most of them memorized now. Dad had a map from his childhood that he let me use so I wouldn't get lost.

Apparently in palaces the term 'bedroom' apparently does not refer only to the room where your bed is. My bedroom consists of two rather large rooms. One is a living area with several couches, a fireplace and a desk fully stocked with stationary for me to write letters back home. My mail sits in a neat stack in its center, placed there by one of the maids – probably Leona. She doesn't speak any English, which forces me to practice my Maldonian even in my down time, but even when I am completely failing at getting a point across she knows exactly what I need from her. My mail consists of a couple of letters from my friends. Virginia writes the most consistently and Mary the least, but I don't fault her for it. She's caught up in wedding details right now and seems to be getting everything she ever wanted.

I have brief Maldonian lessons about six times a week. The language is tricky, but essentially it's Italian with a few cultural quirks added in. If I am to be queen one day I need to be able to speak to my people. My father likes to think it isn't necessary. He doesn't like seeing me spending my time with them in lessons, but my mother has the sense to know that with a monarchy already spiraling toward the status of figure-head my inability to communicate could mean the complete transition of this branch of government to being obsolete.

I move into my actually room-with-a-bed and discard of the costume with less care than my father's mother would have liked. At least I have the motivation to spread it out on my bed for Leona to deal with until another dreadful portrait sitting next week. I change into a more casual dress and hurry to the patio by our gardens for 1:00 lunch.

My life is pretty much all routine here. It's a bit of a culture shock after Aunt Lotte's spontaneity but I don't mind it. Schedules are more my style, so I'm really comfortable knowing exactly what I have to do each day and when I have to do it.

The terrace is so sunny that I can't see when I first walk out. Mom is pacing around, rehearsing a speech in Maldonian that she is going to make before Parliament and Dad is sitting drinking coffee and going through letters. When my heels click on the stone deck he looks up and grins the same grin I've always sported when I am careless enough to let myself be loose. I've learned that Dad is always loose, and in that respect I am my mother's daughter. In every other aspect I would have made the perfect Daddy's Girl.

"Darling! Come, we've been waiting. Helena, bring the tea, please." Dad stands from the small table and puts a careful hand on my shoulder as he invites me to sit down. Helena, another maid, brings out a blue teapot to fill my cup with my favorite strawberry white tea. I blow on it and take a sip, reaching for a sandwich from the platter Dad holds out to me.

I started getting used to the idea of having a mother and father about two months ago. That's when I found myself calling them Mom and Dad instead of avoiding calling them anything. Your Majesty was obviously too formal and I knew calling them by their first names would just be hurtful for them. I did pretty well at just saying 'excuse me' whenever I needed on of their attentions. The first time I used the parental title was at the Festival of Bells, a Maldonian tradition celebrating its culture and history. There were huge garlands made entirely from sleigh bells being hung in the foyer and my mother was standing under them. I saw them slip and just as they were falling I screamed, "MOM!" She stepped away just as the bells came crashing to the floor, but I don't think she even noticed them. The only reason she stepped forward was because she was shocked that I called her Mom. I'll never forget the looks on my parents faces that day. It was like I was a baby again, the child they might have raised.

Mom comes to sit with us, finally fed up with Maldonian grammar, and asks me how my sitting went. I made a pained groaning sound in return. Dad burst out laughing. "Oh, yes, you are my daughter!" He exclaims with a flourish of his fork in my direction. I grin and steal a piece of melon off his plate while his defenses are down.

Shaking her head, Mom reaches across dad's plate to the pile of letter's, beginning to sort through them herself. She flips by several before peering at a plain white envelope with eyebrows raised. Dad and I are too busy savoring lunch to notice her reading what we think is just another royal something-or-other, when Mom puts the opened envelope in front of me.

"I think this may be meant for you." Her curls are falling from her bun in the wind, tangling in the wires of the understated, (somehow) casual tiara she is wearing. There is a secretive glimmer in her brown eyes, and her dimple is showing so I know this is something good. In that moment I swear that I could not have been separated from this woman my whole life to see such subtle pieces of me deep inside her.

I straighten my mouth and pull out the suspicious piece of paper. All of my mail should be sitting on my desk, so this letter is something unknown, the unknown of course being something I have had ever changing luck with. My own curls, just like Mom's, get in the way of my goal before I force them behind my ear and unfold the crisp note and begin with the greeting.

_You're Majesties,_

_I have recently been offered the honor of filling a political science/international relations internship at the American Embassy in Maldonia. _

I frowned. The note was typed and very ordinary. I thought it odd that a mere intern would write personally to the King and Queen when they are just an American that should only be concerned with the American Embassy. Interns from any country never have business at court. Curiosity urged me to read on.

_While most of my official work will of course be in the American offices, I do look forward to learning the customs of your country. If life and this position serve me well I hope to make a career out of politics abroad. _

This was all basic information. The letter went on, mentioning dates. The intern would arrive in a month or so, at the start of his next semester at…Colombia. I skipped right to the end.

_Best regards,_

_Daniel Benoit_

"You're kidding!" My lips stretch across my face as I beam at my parents. Mom had moved to stand behind Dad with her hand resting light as petals on his shoulders.

Mom nods, giving a happy squeeze to Dad's shoulders while she explains, "The American Embassy hires new interns every year, and so we notified Daniel of the opening in case he wanted to apply. We thought you would be excited."

I push my chair back to engulf them both in a hug. My mom's fingers tangle lazily into my hair. We stay there in the gentle breeze coming off of the ocean, breathing in each other at the smell of the honey-suckles weaving up the trellis. When we step apart I fold the letter and hold on tight. "I'm really glad I came."

Mom's eyes start to water. She's always been really emotional around me, and the tears haven't necessarily been uncommon. Dad is just as bad. Of the two of them he is certainly the most dramatic. They share a heavy-hearted look and Mom speaks for the both of them. "We're so glad to have you home."

Lunch is calm and pleasant. We talk of the goings on for the week, and what we can do with Daniel gets here. Aunt Charlotte is coming to visit in a week, eager to fall in love with a Duke and asking me if there are any eligible men around. Helena comes out on the patio fifteen minutes, carrying my amethyst tiara.

"Princess, the car is waiting to take you to the groundbreaking of the new hospital."

Princess – that's my title. I am Princess Evangeline, daughter of King Naveen III and Queen Tiana, first in line to the Maldonian throne. I live in a palace overlooking my people. I've met princes and lords; I wear crowns and the finest gowns. I attend groundbreakings as a representative for the royal family. I have a boyfriend that writes to me every week, and is crossing an ocean to be with me. I conquered an evil witch-doctor's curse.

"Go get 'em, Darling." Dad gives me a kiss on my forehead, followed by Mom.

"See you guys later. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I get to the doorway and curtsy for Helena so she can fasten the tiara to my hair. When it's in place I reach a hand to ensure it is in place and walk with purpose to the front drive, prepared to do my duty for the country I came home to.


End file.
